The True Champion
by Wolverinejoe
Summary: It's been five years since Ash Ketchum began his latest journey. Alone. It's been years since anyone's even seen him. Now, during the Pokémon World Tournament, a mysterious, hooded man appears to claim the title he's dreamt about all these years.
1. Prologue

_-Viridian City-_

The man strode calmly through the streets of Viridian City, drinking in the sights and sounds of the bustling metropolis. The city had grown in the past few years, but the man nevertheless navigated the busy streets with ease. For the most part, the denizens of Viridian avoided the stranger that walked placidly through their midst. Perhaps it was the way he seemed to flow through the crowds – as if he knew precisely where everyone was going to be before they were actually there – or the dark cloak that covered most of his features. Maybe it was the strange aura that seemed to radiate from the man that unnerved the city's residents. Suffice to say he was regarded with varying levels of suspicion, and many of his fellow passersby involuntarily sighed in relief when he was out of eyesight, releasing pent-up breaths they hadn't realized they'd been holding.

The man was not alone. Alongside him trod a blue, jackal-like creature that perhaps stood up to the man's shoulder. Her brilliant blue eyes took in everything; there was not a single detail that she failed to observe. Like the man she accompanied, there was an odd presence about the Lucario that intimidated the townspeople.

Perched on the man's shoulder was a Pikachu. Its yellow fur ruffling in the evening breeze, the Electric Mouse was easily the most relaxed of the three. The lightning bolt-shaped tail twitched now and again as he rested on his friend's shoulder.

Spotting the familiar red roof, the man approached the Pokémon Center, fingering the small metal spheres clipped to his belt. The automatic doors opened with a _whoosh, _admitting the trio inside.

The Center was fairly empty, save for a few patrons waiting on the dark purple couches. The man ignored them, nearing the desk. "Hello, and welcome to the Pokémon Center!" the Nurse bowed, glancing briefly at the Pokémon accompanying the man before returning her gaze to him. "How may I help you?"

The man unclipped three Pokéballs from his belt and placed them on the desk. "These three need healing," he said simply, "and _I _need a room for the night."

"Of course, sir," the Nurse said, taking the spheres and inserting them into a large machine behind her. "They'll be fighting fit in about an hour," she informed the man, opening a drawer and retrieving a small key. "Here you are," handing the key to the man, she pointed up the small staircase on their left. "Your room is the first on the right. I can have someone come up with your Pokémon as soon as they're ready."

The man inclined his head. "Thank you." His cape swept rather dramatically as he turned, making for his room.

Unlocking the door and pushing it open, the man yawned and ran a hand through his ebony hair, pushing back the hood as he did so. The Pikachu leapt off his shoulder, racing along the beds and curling up on a pillow. _"Chuuu…" _it said happily.

The man chuckled. "Comfy, Pikachu?"

Pikachu nodded. _"Chu… pika kapi chu, Pikapi?" _he asked, looking up at his friend.

"What do you mean, 'what's the plan'?" The man raised an eyebrow. "We wait for the Nurse to heal everyone up, and get some rest. There. That's our plan."

The Lucario rolled her eyes. **What Pikachu means, Master, is what is your plan for **_**after **_**tonight. What do we do, now that we aren't in training?**

The man's brow furrowed. "Ah. To be honest, Athena, I hadn't really thought that far ahead. I suppose we'll tour the Kanto battle circuit for a while, maybe try out the Indigo League. Who knows, maybe we'll challenge the Elite Four." He shrugged, turning to look out the window. "Get some rest. I want to be out of here by sunrise." Not bothering to shed his cloak, the man lay in the nearest bed, closing his chocolate eyes. Within minutes he was asleep.

* * *

_-Ecruteak City-_

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Max Maple, son of Petalburg City Gym Leader Norman Maple, stumbled into Ecruteak. He hadn't meant to be out so late – stealing a glance at his Pokégear, he cringed; it was close to one in the morning – but he had been distracted by a rather intense training session that had caused the evolution of not one, but two members of his party. Then his long-time rival, Aaron, had appeared out of absolutely nowhere and challenged him to an impromptu battle. Max had accepted, of course – it was a matter of pride. No self-respecting Trainer would ever refuse a chance to prove their worth in battle, or would ever run away from a fight. The battle had been long and hard-fought, but Grace and Shadow had come through for Max in the end. Even now, an hour or so after his victory, the crestfallen look on Aaron's face still made the young Trainer grin as he entered the Poké Center.

"Evening, Nurse Joy," he said cheerily, unclipping his Pokéballs and handing them to the Nurse. "Er, I suppose it's really early morning, now."

"Hello, Max. You're certainly out late tonight," she replied.

"Eh. Couldn't be helped. I ran into a rival of mine who challenged me."

The Nurse nodded knowingly. "Ah. I see. I take it you won?"

"You bet I did! He's no match for me!"

Nurse Joy smiled. "You must be tired. "Here's your room key, your team should be fully healed by morning." Max accepted the key and turned to leave, but was stopped by the Nurse. "Oh, I almost forgot: A letter arrived for you this afternoon. It looked important." The pinkette opened a drawer, producing an official-looking envelope. "It's from the Pokémon League."

"What?!" Max grabbed the letter and ripped it open. Quickly scanning the paper, he read aloud:

_The Pokémon League cordially invites Max Maple of Petalburg City to compete in the first ever Pokémon World Tournament. The Tournament will be held at Indigo Plateau, Kanto region, from April 10__th__ to May 1__st__. Please show this invitation to the Nurse Joy in Indigo Plateau's Pokémon Center. _

_ We look forward to watching you compete!_

_ -Charles Goodshow, president of Pokémon League._

Max fell silent as the letter concluded, his eyes wide as Pokéballs. "I… I can't believe it," he said finally. _"I WAS INVITED TO THE POKÉMON WORLD TOURNAMENT!"_

"Congratulations~!" the Nurse said, watching the Hoenn native celebrate. Max danced around the Center, arms flailing as a chorus of yeses poured from his lips. He threw his head back and laughed, causing his glasses to fly off his face and clatter to the ground. Max snatched them up and placed them back on his head, still celebrating the good news.

This went on for a full five more minutes before Max calmed down. "Night, Nurse Joy!" Beaming from ear to ear, he raced up the steps, babbling to himself. _I have to call Brock and tell him the news! Dad'll be so excited! This is gonna be awesome!_

Nurse Joy sighed in relief. She was as excited about the PWT as anybody, but the way that boy had danced around made it seem as though he had already won the Championship.

* * *

_-Viridian City-_

_"Pikapi, chuka chu pikachu."_

The man's eyes blinked open at the sound of Pikachu's voice. "I'm awake," he said, rubbing his eyes. He glanced out the window. The sun had not yet risen, and the streets of Viridian were empty. "Thanks for waking me," he said, standing and stretching. He cracked his back and turned to a nearby table, where three Pokéballs lay. "I suppose the Nurse woke you, Athena? You always were a light sleeper."

Athena nodded. **Yeah.**

The man clipped the metal spheres onto his belt. Readjusting his cloak and pulling up his hood, he quietly opened the door. "Shall we?" he asked.

The man squinted in the bright lights of the Center's main floor. He nodded politely to the Nurse manning the counter, wordlessly returning the key and leaving.

The brisk morning air was a welcome surprise for the three travelers. The cool breeze invigorated the trio, sending small shivers up their collective spines.

The sun was just promising to rise, the skies still painted blacker than a Darkrai's worst nightmares. The streetlights that had been illuminating the trio's journey thus far stopped abruptly, informing the man that they were nearing the City's outskirts. "Come on," he said, "a few more blocks and we'll be out of here. I guess we'll head for -"

"Well, if it ain't da twerp," the voice came from a darkened alley, interrupting the man. The trio spun towards the sound, assuming battle stances.

"Show yourself!" the man ordered.

"Now is dat any way ta treat a friend?" the voice wondered. A figure appeared out of the shadows, slinking towards the man. The large, tan cat walked into the light. Striding gracefully towards the man, the cream-colored feline grinned mischievously at the three. A flawless red jewel imbedded in the cat's forehead glinted in the low light. The Persian laughed, rubbing its whiskers with one paw. "Come on, now. Surely ya remember me, don't ya? How's about you, Pikachu? No? Well, I guess I _have _changed a bit."

The man exchanged confused glances with the Electric Mouse on his shoulder. "Meowth?"

The cat nodded. "It's Persian, now, but yea. Da one an' only. 'Volved a mont' or so." Glancing over his shoulder, Persian began pacing around the man and his Pokémon.

"What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you's da same question. Don't ya know it's dangerous, walkin' 'round a big city like dis when it's dark out? You's could get hurt."

The man laughed. "Yeah. I'd hate to get mugged or something. Who knows? Someone might try to steal my Pokémon."

"Hey, ya never know. As a matter of fact, I -"

_"KROW!"_

A black bird appeared, cawing menacingly. Screeching its name, the Murkrow swopped down at Persian, pecking at his side.

"Ah, great. Dis guy again. Hold on a sec," Persian complained, dropping to a crouch. He hissed at the Murkrow, who cried its name again and came around for a second pass. This time, Persian leapt at the bird, slashing at it with his claws, managing to land two direct hits to the Dark/Flying Type.

With a pained cry, the Darkness Pokémon flew away, screeching noisily.

Persian turned back to the man. "Sorry 'bout dat. Dat guy's been chasin' me for days now."

The man's expression became stern. "Are you on the run again?"

"Well, yea, but -"

"I thought you'd given up crime!"

"You really tink I did somethin'?" Persian looked hurt. "Jessie, James an' I all went straight tree years ago! You know dat!"

"So why are you on the run?"

Persian glanced over his shoulder again. "I didn't do nothin'! It's Team Rocket! Dey're da ones after me!" Persian started pacing again. "Listen. I was hangin' around dis place – I won't say where. I was eavesdroppin' on some Rocket Grunts talkin' 'bout a big job dat's supposed to go down durin' da PWT."

"The what?"

"Oh. Yeah. I forgot. You've been in exile."

The man sighed. "We've been over this. It's not exile; it's training. In seclusion. There's a difference."

Persian shrugged noncommittally. "Whateva. So anyways, da World Tournament is dis big championship happenin' up on Indigo Plateau. Da Dragon guy, wit da cape – Lance? – set it up an' got da Pokémon League in on it, too.

"So, basically, it's did huge competition. All da world's best Trainers, and da Gym Leaders an' the Elite Four. Even da Champions are supposed ta be getting' in on dis ting. Whoever wins is gonna be crowned da 'Pokémon Master' or somethin'."

"Sounds like fun."

"Yea. So, dese Grunts weren't exactly da most discreet bunch. I overheard one of 'em sayin' somethin' 'bout da Boss. I tink he's headin' da whole operation."

The man's eyes widened. The leader of Team Rocket was a secretive man. He was rarely – if ever – overly active in the Team's exploits, preferring to stay out of sight, hidden by the shadows. "So the head of Team Rocket is going to be there at the Tournament?"

Persian nodded. "Sounds like it. Hey, you're not really tinkin' about goin', are ya? I mean, did you hear anyting I just said?"

The man grinned. "I certainly did. A world-wide Tournament with the best Trainers from around the globe, along with the fact that the leader of Team Rocket will be there? Sounds like my kind of party."

_"Pika chu pikachu pi!"_

"Exactly. It's the perfect place for a comeback, don't you think, Persian?"

Persian groaned, slinking back to the shadows. "Don't say I didn't warn ya when da Boss knocks you into next mont'. I'll say 'hi' ta Jessie n' James for ya. Stay safe, Ash."

"You too, Persian," Ash called to the darkness. But the cat was already gone.

**So, **Athena said, staring at Persian's retreating form, **we're going to Indigo Plateau?**

_"Pikachu chu chuka Pikapi!"_

Ash grinned. "Come on!" he shouted, sprinting into the forests surrounding the City. Athena and Pikachu looked at each other, shrugged, and raced off after Ash.

_**Hello, everyone. Thought I'd try my hand at a Pokémon story. Hope you enjoy it! I've got some great ideas for this fic, so let's see where this thing goes, shall we? Please review and let me know what you guys think.**_

_** See you next chapter!**_

_** -Wolverinejoe**_


	2. Let the Tournament Begin

_-Pokémon League Village, Indigo Plateau-_

"We're here! Can you believe it?" Adjusting his wireframe glasses, Max turned to his older sister May, beaming from ear to ear. "This Tournament is going to be so epic! I still can't believe I was invited!"

The Pokémon Coordinator smiled at her brother. "You deserve it, little brother."

"Yeah!" exclaimed the blue-haired girl accompanying them. "You're so totally gonna win this thing, Maxy~!"

"I don't think so, Dawn," came a voice from behind the Coordinator. Max, May, and Dawn spun around to see Misty walking towards the group. Her orange hair was tied up in her trademark side-ponytail, and she wore a black T-shirt with a red stripe around her chest, as well as a baggy pair of jeans. _"I'm _going to win this thing."

"Misty! You're here!"

"Heck yeah, I am! You really think I'd miss the World Tournament? Not for all the X Attacks in Kanto!"

"You're competing?" May asked.

"You bet! I was invited right before you guys called me. Nice job beating Pryce, by the way."

Max shrugged. "Eh. He was a big pushover. Jacob took care of him easily," he bragged. "Hey, is Brock with you?"

"Nah, he had already left with Forrest when I got to Pewter," she replied. "He said he would call me when Forrest had registered and they had their rooms."

"Forrest?"

"One of Brock's siblings. The leader of the Pewter City Gym?"

"Oh."

"Are either of you besides Max competing?" Misty asked.

May and Dawn both shook their heads. "Nope!" the blunette answered. "We're just here to cheer Maxy on!"

_Figures, _Misty thought. "Come on, Max. We need to find the Pokémon Center so we can register." Gesturing to follow her, Misty turned on her heel and took off into the Village.

"-Hey! Wait up!" Max called, racing after her. Dawn and May watched him run away. A second passed. The two Coordinators turned to each other, grins spreading across their faces.

_"Shopping~!"_

Max finally caught up to Misty near the entrance to the Poké Center. "What… was that… for?" he asked, gasping for breath.

Misty chuckled, sticking out her tongue. "Gotta keep up, Maxy."

Max rolled his eyes. "Ugh. _Please _don't call me that. It's bad enough May and Dawn do it, now you, too?"

Misty grinned. "Chill, Max. I'm just teasing." The two entered the Center, sweatdropping at the sight of the line to Nurse Joy's desk that stretched all the way to the front of the Center. "Guess we're in for a bit of a wait," Misty said, checking her Pokégear. "Keep your eyes peeled."

"Huh? For who?"

Misty glanced at Max as if he were just a little bit strange. "Isn't it obvious? For Ash." She scanned the crowded Center.

"A-Ash? You really think he'll be here?"

"Please. He's Ash. This is the biggest Tournament in the history of the Pokémon League. Ash'll be here. He has to," she added, mostly to herself. She analyzed every face she saw, looking for any hint of the Trainer. Her heart nearly skipped a beat every time she saw a Pikachu, or one of the League hats that he used to wear. Misty sighed. _You're going to drive yourself crazy if you keep this up, _she told herself.

A half-hour later found them at the head of the line. "Welcome to the Pokémon Center," the Nurse said tiredly. "You're here to register for the Tournament?"

"Yep!" Max answered, producing his slightly-crumpled invitation from his pocket. Misty did the same, searching through her drawstring backpack until she found the paper.

"Max Petalburg and Misty Waterflower?" the Nurse asked. The young Trainer and Gym Leader nodded. "Alrighty then," she said, typing their names into the computer, "You're all set. Now, if you want to know your battle lineup, there's an app you can download for your Pokégear, or you can just come back here and check that screen up there," she pointed up at a large television monitor hanging on the wall. "Welcome to Indigo Plateau, Max and Misty, and enjoy the Tournament!"

The two retreated to a less-crowded corner of the Pokémon Center. "Where's May and Dawn?" Misty asked.

"Where do you think? Shopping," Max deadpanned, glancing at his Pokégear. "You think I should call them? So we can figure out where we're gonna set up shop for the Tournament?"

"Nah. What we need to do is find Brock. I'm sure he's here. Knowing him, he's probably fallen in love with some girl by now." She pulled out her Pokégear. "I think I'll text him, let him know where we are."

Sliding open the Pokégear, she began to type out a quick message to Brock. The message was never completed, for at that moment, the Poké Center's doors slid open. A tall man stepped through the doors, and the air inside the Center seemed to drop about ten degrees.

He wore a long, tattered cloak with a hood that obscured his face. A Lucario stood at his side, eyeing the Center's occupants with suspicion. Riding on the man's shoulder was a Pikachu. No one said a word as he approached the Nurse's desk. Even the largest Bikers in the Center seemed to shy away in the man's presence.

"I'd like to register for the World Tournament," he said politely.

"Yes, s-sir. Y-y-your name?"

The man hesitated for a moment before answering. "Red."

For a minute or so, the only sound was Nurse Joy typing. "Th-there you are, s-sir. W-would you l-like your f-f-first round sch-schedule?"

"Yes, please."

"V-very well." The Nurse grabbed a pencil and a sheet of paper. Scribbling furiously, the Nurse copied the information down and handed the paper to the man, who accepted it with a polite nod. He glanced around the roomful of Trainers, smiled darkly to himself, and left.

The temperature returned to normal, and everyone discovered they could speak again.

"Wha-what in Arceus' name was that?" Max gasped, staring at the door the man had disappeared through.

"I… I have no idea."

* * *

Ash grinned to himself. "Well, we certainly made an entrance, didn't we?"

Athena laughed softly. **That was fun. Can we do that more often?**

_"Pikapi, chu ka pikachuka Pikachu-Pi ka Pipichu?"_

"Misty and Max? Yeah, I saw them. I didn't say anything because I don't know them. Yet. Can't have anyone figuring out who I am, now can we? That would ruin the whole surprise."

Pikachu facepalmed. _"Chu... Pika pi chuka pikachu chu?"_

"Oh! Right! The schedule." Ash unfolded the sheet of paper and studied it. "Let's see… Hey, we have the opening match of the Tournament! How nice of Nurse Joy. Uh, we're going up against some guy named Daniel Miller. Two Pokémon each." He glanced at Athena and Pikachu. "I guess that's you guys. Oh, this is going to be so much fun!"

* * *

_Later that Night…_

Misty stood beside Max and some other Trainer who'd introduced himself as Rick, waiting for their cue.

The opening ceremonies for the Pokémon World Tournament were turning out to be quite the lengthy affair. All the Trainers that were to compete were supposed to march across the main stadium after the Flame of Moltres had been lit. When that had been completed, the President of the Pokémon League, Charles Goodshow, was goin to address the Trainers, then there would be a big fireworks show, or something like that. Misty hadn't exactly been paying attention. She'd been busy pondering the appearance of this 'Red' character. Whoever he was he was strong. That much was certain. The way he had carried himself – He had been totally sure of himself, utterly calm. And that weird way he had made everyone unable to talk while he registered. Misty shuddered at the memory. It had been downright unnerving.

His Pokémon were clearly powerful. Any Trainer worth their badges could tell that. The Pikachu in particular. Had it been her imagination, or had the Electric Mouse smiled at her while Red was registered?

"Misty! That's our cue!"

The redhead started at Max's voice. "Right," she said, shaking herself of her thoughts and walking out into stadium.

The crowd roared as the hundreds upon hundreds of Trainers took the field. The world's best Pokémon Trainers marched into the arena, waving to the hundreds of thousands of screaming fans. Gym Leaders, Elite Four, even Champions were competing. This truly would be a Tournament to remember.

Charles Goodshow appeared in the referee's box. He produced a microphone and began to speak.

Misty craned her neck, gaze drifting about the huge mob of Trainers before her. That was Steven Stone, the former Hoenn Champion… Was that Agatha? Never before had Misty seen so many powerful Trainers in the same place. Hey, that was -!

"Max," Misty whispered.

"Huh? What?"

"Look over there," she said, pointing discreetly into the crowd. "Is that that Red guy?"

"Where… oh. Hey, yeah it is! Is... is he looking this way?"

Misty quickly averted her eyes and tried to pay attention to the remainder of Goodshow's speech.

"… and this certainly promises to be a Tournament we will never forget." The old man paused. "Well, I'm sure you're all tired of hearing me talking, so without any further ado, let the first ever Pokémon World Tournament begin!"

The crowd roared even louder than before, if that was possible. Fireworks exploded in the sky, illuminating the stadium in bursts of red and green.

The Tournament had begun.

* * *

_-Elsewhere-_

He wore an expensive Italian suit with matching loafers that had been handcrafted by a master shoemaker in a remote part of Unova. He stroked the Persian resting on his lap and watched the last of the fireworks shoot across the screen.

He pressed a button on the arm of his chair. A woman dressed in a black uniform ran in and saluted.

"Is everything ready?"

"Not yet, sir."

"How long until we are able to mobilize?"

"Two, three days. A week at the very most."

"Good."

* * *

**_The Tournament has begun! The first battles are coming up next chapter, which is being written as you read this. Unless you're reading this in the future, when the next chapter has already been posted. If that's the case, hello from the past!_**

**_Click that little button down below and tell me what you think!_**

**_-Wolverinejoe_**


	3. Opening Battles

_-Indigo Stadium-_

"WELCOME, POKÉFANS, TO THE FIRST MATCH OF THE POKÉMON WORLD TOURNAMENT!"

The arena was packed. People had been waiting in lines for hours in order to get seats to the opening battle. Misty, Max, Brock, Dawn, and May all sat in a group near the center of the stadium, ten or so rows up.

"Quality seats, Misty!" Max said, legs jittering with excitement.

"Helps being a Gym Leader," the redhead replied. "Now pay attention. The Battle's about to start."

"-GIVE IT UP FOR DANIEL MILLER OF LAVENDER TOWN!"

The audience roared its approval as the blonde-haired Trainer walked forwards. He laughed excitedly, waving at the crowds.

"I fought that guy a few months ago," Misty commented. "He lost twice before he earned the Cascade Badge. He was a pretty good battler."

"AND FACING HIM, THE MYSTERIOUS NEWCOMER, THE DARK TRAINER OF UNKNOWN STRENGTH AND SKILL, CERTAINLY THE DARK RAPIDASH IN THIS TOURNAMENT, I GIVE YOU, RRRRREEEEEDDDDD!"

The crowds cheered and applauded as the cloaked Trainer marched onto the field. Lucario at his side and Pikachu on his shoulder, Red ignored the crowds as if they weren't even there, staring at his opponent. Under his dark hood, he smiled darkly, nodding once to Daniel.

"That's the guy I was telling you about, Brock."

The ex-Gym Leader leaned forward in his seat. "So, this is the guy that got Max to shut up? I must say I'm impressed."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean!?"

"THIS WILL BE A TWO-ON-TWO DUAL BATTLE WITH NO TIME LIMIT! TRAINERS, CHOOSE YOUR POKÉMON!"

Daniel flung two Pokéballs onto the field. "Let's do this, Machoke! Bring 'em down, Marowak!" In a flash of light, the Bone Keeper and Superpower Pokémon appeared on the battlefield, one clutching a large femur, the other adopting a karate stance.

Red nodded to the Pokémon at his side. "Athena, Pikachu. Take the field."

"A Lucario and a Pikachu?" Max asked. "That's a terrible choice! Pikachu's weak against Ground types like Marowak, and Lucario's bad against both! What's this guy thinking?"

"BOTH TRAINERS AT THE READY!" the referee paused, lifting his flags high in the air. "BEGIN!"

"Machoke, use Focus Energy, then Mega Punch on Lucario!" Daniel commanded. "Marowak, Bone Rush the Pikachu!"

Machoke closed its eyes, taking a deep breath. The Pokémon's muscles expanded, swelling to nearly double their original size. Marowak, gripping the huge bone, sprinted forwards toward Pikachu.

"Athena, intercept Marowak with your own Bone Rush. Pikachu, Iron Tail on Machoke." Red's voice was calm and collected.

Red's Pokémon leapt into action. A deep blue bone appeared in the Aura Pokémon's hands, and it rushed the Bone Keeper. Pikachu's tail glowed white, and it raced at Machoke, leaping into the air and bringing the tail straight down on Machoke's head. The Superpower Pokémon crumpled under the force of the blow, landing face-down on stadium floor with a _Thud. _Pikachu flipped in midair and landed on its feet.

Meanwhile, Marowak and Athena were locked in a power struggle, trying to overpower each other's attacks. Athena suddenly jumped up, flipping over Marowak and lashing out with the glowing femur. The attack struck the Ground Type in the back, sending it tumbling to the ground.

"Marowak! Get up!"

The Bone Keeper struggled to get to its feet. Readjusting its grip on the bone, Marowak faced Athena again, eyeing the Aura Pokémon warily.

"Good! Now, use Skull Bash! Machoke! If you can get up, use Mach Punch on Lucario!"

Obediently, Marowak lowered its head and rushed Athena. Nearby, Machoke slowly picked itself off the ground and ran towards her as well, its fists glowing light blue.

"Pikachu, intercept Marowak with another Iron Tail! Athena, Force Palm!"

Speeding towards the Bone Keeper Pokémon, Pikachu's tail glowed white once more. Marowak, seeing the small mouse racing towards it, turned away from Athena and faced the Electric Type head-on.

The force of Pikachu's blow sent Marowak flying. The Ground Type landed some ten feet away from the Electric Mouse.

Athena raised an open palm at the fast-approaching Machoke. Her eyes briefly flashed dark blue, and she brought her palm forward. Her hand glowed blue, and she ran forward, meeting Machoke midstride. Thrusting her paw into Machoke's unguarded chest, a blast of dark blue light struck the Superpower Pokémon, sending it crashing to the ground alongside Marowak

Red smiled. "Athena! Pikachu! Finish this with Aura Storm!"

Confusion spread through the stands. "Aura Storm?"

"What kind of move is that?"

"I've never heard anything like that before…"

_"PIII… KACHUUU!" _the mouse cried, electricity coursing throughout its body. Thunder rumbled overhead, and storm clouds formed seemingly out of nowhere. Pikachu fired a bolt of electricity into the clouds. A thunderclap shook the stadium.

Athena closed her eyes. A small sphere, glowing deep blue, appeared between her hands. At that exact moment, a huge lightningbolt exploded down onto the arena, striking the sphere in her paws, turning the orb a violent shade of purple. Thunder roared overhead.

Athena's eyes shot open. The black appendages on her head flared. Athena roared, leaping high into the air. When she was directly over the prone Pokémon, the attack was released, shooting down to meet Machoke and Marowak.

The Sphere struck Machoke dead in the chest. The volatile ball of energy exploded outwards, enveloping both Pokémon in the blast and kicking up a huge cloud of dust.

When the dust had finally cleared, Machoke and Marowak were exposed, lying in a huge crater, unconscious. The storm clouds overhead vanished as quickly as appeared, and the sun shone down on the stadium once again.

The arena was silent. After an awkward moment or two, the referee picked his jaw up off the floor, dusted it off, and closed his open mouth. "MACHOKE AND MAROWAK ARE UNABLE TO BATTLE! THE WINNER OF THIS ROUND IS RED!"

Red said nothing. Rather, he nodded respectfully to Daniel and turned, cloak sweeping dramatically as he walked away, his Pokémon following close behind.

* * *

_-Forests surrounding Indigo Plateau-_

"Well done, you guys," Ash said once they had reached the clearing. "You battled great, as usual."

_"Pika pikachu, chu Pikapi."_

**I get the feeling they'll remember that battle for a **_**long **_**time.**

"You said it, Athena."

Ash sat down against a tree and gazed out over the clearing. Athena wandered off away from the clearing, but Pikachu remained on his shoulder. Two of his Pokémon were sparring, holding a mock battle nearby. His last Pokémon was resting in the sunlight, lazily watching the clouds go by.

Ash unfolded the sheet of paper Nurse Joy had given him. "Hey, Max has a battle starting not too long from now. I think I'll go watch." He stood slowly, eyebrows raised underneath his hood. "Any of you want to come with?"

**No thanks. **Athena replied from somewhere in the forest.

The others declined as well, deeming to continue their fight, or their nap. In the end, only Pikachu wanted to go – understandable, as he had been the only one of Ash's Pokémon to actually _know _Max.

"Come on then," the Trainer said to his starter, and the two set off for the Tournament Village.

* * *

_-Pokémon League Village-_

"That was _soooo _amazing!" Max said for the umpteenth time, eliciting a collective groan from the group.

"Max! We get it! It was cool! We were there! Now, for the love of Arceus, _shut up!_" May snapped, glaring pointedly at her brother. "If you say one more word about Red the rest of the day, I am going to have Blaziken roast you over an open fire. Got it?"

Her hand lowered to the Pokéball at her waist, and Max visibly blanched, a sweatdrop forming on the back of his head. "Okay! Gotcha, sis. Not one more word about …err… _him. _No problem at all. I mean, I don't know why you _wouldn't _want to talk about possibly the greatest finishing move in the history of the Pokémon League, but that's up to –"

"Max." May's voice was cold.

"Shutting up!"

"_I _think he's kind of cute," Dawn said.

May facepalmed. "Come on, Dawn!"

"No, really! I mean, did you even _see _him? He was _gorgeous._ Right, Misty?"

"Dawn, he face was completely covered. You couldn't see anything underneath that hood of his," Misty replied, rolling her eyes.

"He was still cute," Dawn insisted.

"Sure he was."

Brock glanced at Max. "Don't you have a match, in like, fifteen minutes?"

"What!?" Max scrolled furiously through his Pokégear, where he'd stored his battle schedule. "Crapcrapcrapcrap! I have to get to Dragonite Stadium by one twenty or else I lose by forfeit!" Pocketing the Pokégear, Max raced down the road at a breakneck pace. Misty and Brock were right on his heels, followed closely by the two Coordinators.

* * *

_-Ten minutes later-_

Max took several deep breaths, trying to calm his ragged nerves. His hand clenched Grace's Pokéball so hard his knuckles were white. He shifted uncomfortably, waiting for the referee to announce him. He wasn't worried about the battle – his opponent was some Johto kid named Joey – but rather the fact that this was his first match in the Tournament. Various scenarios ran through the young Trainers head, most of which involved him losing.

Max's eyes narrowed. There was _no _way he was going to lose! Hadn't he made it all the way to the final round of the Ever Grande Conference not a year ago? He was Max Maple! There was absolutely no chance of him losing to some newbie kid from Cherrygrove!

"-AND FACING HIM, THE UP-AND-COMING STAR FROM HOENN, THE PETALBURG PRODIGY HIMSELF, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MMMMAAAAAAAXXXXXX MMMMAAAPPPLLLEEEE!"

Steeling himself, Max walked into the Arena. The deafening roar of the audience hit him like a solid wall. Reaching his designated platform, he raised a hand and closed his eyes, letting the crowd's cheering wash over him.

"THIS MATCH WILL BE A THREE-ON-THREE SINGLE BATTLE WITH NO TIME LIMIT! TRAINERS, CHOOSE YOUR FIRST POKÉMON!"

Max hurled the Pokéball in his hand onto the field. "Come on, Grace!" In a flash of blue light, a Gardevoir appeared on the battlefield.

"Go to, Seviper!" Joey yelled, summoning the Fang Snake, which hissed menacingly at Grace.

Max grinned. Poison Types weren't very effective against Psychics like Grace. That mistake would cost Joey.

"TRAINERS AT THE READY! BEGIN!"

"Grace, start things off with Conf-"

"Dark Pulse!" Joey ordered. Seviper obeyed, firing off a ring of dark energy that flew towards Grace."

"Dodge it!" Seconds before the attack would have struck Grace, she teleported away, reappearing a few feet to the left of the attack.

"Poison Sting!" Seviper opened its mouth wide. Dozens of needles, glowing bright purple, shot out of its mouth and sped towards Grace.

"Dodge again!" Grace teleported a few more feet away.

"Keep up that Poison Sting! Don't let her dodge it!" The attack persisted, more needles racing towards the Embrace Pokémon. Grace teleported wildly, unable to dodge the barrage of poisonous barbs. _"Devoir!" _she cried as several needle pierced her skin.

Max gritted his teeth. Grace had been badly poisoned by the attack. As he watched, the Psychic stumbled, nearly falling as the toxins took effect. And Seviper was still at full health! He needed to get on the offensive.

"Venoshock!" A disgusting purple liquid shot out of the Fang Snake's mouth, headed directly for the Gardevoir.

"Redirect it with Psychic!" Max called. Grace nodded, her eyes glowing bright green. The venom arcing through the air began to glow the same color, and stopped midair. The venomous liquid did a one-eighty, speeding right back towards Seviper.

"Get out of there, Seviper!" the poison snake tried to evade the ooze, but Grace simply redirected it right back at it, drenching the Poison Type in the poisonous fluid.

"Confusion, then follow up with Future Sight!" Grace nodded. Her eyes flashed purple as she stared, unmoving, at Seviper. The Fang Snake cried out as Grace entered its mind and retreated from it just as suddenly, leaving Seviper dazed and confused. The image of Grace flickered, and Seviper whirled around, searching for somewhere to direct its attacks. There!

"_Seviper!" _It cried, firing another Poison Sting attack. The poisonous needles missed Grace by miles. The poison snake was firing erratically in all directions, narrowly missing Joey.

Grace closed her eyes. A wave of Psychic energy radiated from the Embrace Pokémon and disappeared into the future.

Joey leapt to the side, dodging the Poison Sting by mere inches. "Ref!" he called, turning to the judge. "I'm recalling Seviper! I don't want anyone getting hurt while he's confused like this!"

The referee nodded, raising a flag. "JOEY HAS RECALLED SEVIPER; THIS ROUND GOES TO MAX! JOEY, SELECT YOUR NEXT POKÉMON!"

Joey glared at Max from across the arena. "Bring the pain, Beedrill!" He shouted, throwing another Pokéball onto the field. "Pin Needle!"

The black-and-yellow wasp appeared, buzzing furiously. Max flinched at the sight of the Poison Bee. He'd been stung by a Beedrill once as a child, and had had trouble trusting the Bug Type ever since. "Okay, Grace, use Secret Power!"

Beedrill raised its arms. The massive stingers began to glow. Hundreds of white needles appeared in midair, glowing bright white. The glowing barbs honed in on Grace, who released a wave of pink energy that stopped the needles dead in their tracks.

"Silver Wind!" Joey commanded. Beedrill's wings flashed white, creating a huge gust of wind. Silver crescents formed along the wind currents.

_"Gaaar!" _Grace cried, collapsing underneath the super-effective attack. Her vision swam, and the Psychic fell unconscious.

"GARDEVOIR IS UNABLE TO BATTLE! THIS ROUND GOES TO JOEY!" The referee announced. "MAX, CHOOSE YOUR NEXT POKÉMON!"

"Nice job, Grace," Max said, recalling the fallen Pokémon. "Take a good long rest." He thought for a moment before choosing his next Pokémon. "Burn it down, Cole!" A flash of red light illuminated the battlefield. A Quilava appeared on the arena.

"Whooo, Cole!" Dawn cheered from up in the stands. "Typhlosion, check it out!" she said, releasing the fully evolved Johto starter. "Cole's fighting! May, let your Typhlosion out!"

"Cole, Flame Charge!" Max yelled.

The Volcano Pokémon stood on its hind legs and began pounding the stadium floor with its feet over and over again. A cloud of dust soon kicked up, covering and concealing Cole. Cole dropped to all fours, igniting the flames on his head and rear. The cloud of dust caught fire, surrounding the Quilava in an orb of red and yellow flame. _"Lava!" _Cole cried, charging the Poison Bee Pokémon.

"Beedrill! Poison Jab!"

The massive stingers on Beedrill's arms glowed a deep purple as Cole raced towards it. Beedrill skirted around the charging Fire Type, reaching out and stabbing its opponent. The flames on Cole's body burned even brighter, and the Quilava looped around with incredible speed. Beedrill didn't even have time to cry out, collapsing to the stadium.

"BEEDRILL IS UNABLE TO BATTLE! JOEY, SEND OUT YOUR FINAL POKÉMON!"

Joey didn't seem worried. He sneered, unclipping his last Pokéball from his belt. "You're going down, Maple. I hatched this guy from his egg; I raised him myself. He's one of the strongest of his kind, and he's _never _been defeated in battle." He expanded the sphere, lifting it high in the air. "Raticate! I choose you!"

The Rat Pokémon exploded onto the field, screeching horridly at Cole. Max flinched at the sight of the beast. He'd never seen a Raticate so huge; where most were only about two feet tall, this was easily twice that. "You ready, Cole?" he asked.

_"Quilava!" _

Max grinned. "Then let's do this! Use Flamethrower!"

"Counter with Thunderbolt!"

Cole ignited the flames on its head and back. Crying his name, he fired the attack, releasing a spiraling stream of orange and red flame at Raticate. The Rat Pokémon hissed, firing a bolt of electricity into the fire. The two attacks collided and exploded.

"Crunch, Raticate!"

"Rollout!"

Before either of the Pokémon could attack, however, a sphere of rainbow energy appeared between the two. It floated down to Raticate, who tilted his head, examining the odd circle. Lifting a paw, the Normal Type reached out and touched the orb with a claw. The sphere rippled in response to the touch, floating in a circle around the rat.

The orb accelerated, ramming into the Rat Pokémon's stomach. Doubling over as the breath was knocked from its lungs, Raticate cried out in pain, falling to the stadium floor.

_Grace's Future Sight attack! _Max realized, before remembering he was supposed to be battling. "Come on, Cole! Rollout!"

_"Quilava!" _The Volcano Pokémon ran forward and jumped. In midair, he curled up into a tight ball and rolled, incredibly fast, towards Raticate.

"Raticate! Get up and use Hyper Fang!"

_"Ticate!" _leaping to its feet, the Normal Type bared its massive teeth, which glinted in the midday sun.

Cole struck Raticate square in the chest, knocking it back several feet. In response, the rat raced on all fours towards the still-rolling Quilava, chomping down hard on its opponent. The Fire Type cried out in pain, straightening out and falling to the floor.

"Cole! Get him off of you! Inferno!"

The flames on Cole's back flared, engulfing both Pokémon in an intense blaze. Raticate released Cole, scrambling away from the flames surrounding the Quilava. A large patch of fur blackened, burning the skin underneath. _"Raaaat!" _the Rat Pokémon cried, the terrible burn taking its toll on Raticate.

"Raticate! Are you okay!?"

_"Rrr…Raticate…" _it replied weakly. The burn intensified, and Raticate swayed, stumbling towards its opponent. Cole made to press the attack, but stopped after a gesture from Max. "It's over, Joey," he called. "Raticate's in no position to go on."

Joey blinked, then nodded. "Raticate, return. You did a good job."

"JOEY HAS RECALLED RATICATE; THE WINNER OF THIS MATCH IS MAX MAPLE OF PETALBURG CITY!" the Referee cried, lifting his flags. The audience cheered wildly as Max approached the Johto boy, offering his hand.

"That was a great match, Joey."

"You, too." They shook hands. Joey smiled sadly, turned, and walked out of the arena. Max waved to his friends in the stands before following suit.

* * *

High up in the bleachers, a hooded Trainer sat, grinning at the Max's retreating form. "A good match, wasn't it, Pikachu?"

_"Pika pi, Pikachu!"_

"Definitely." Standing, Red made his way, unseen, through the crowds. He paused for a moment when he saw his friends applauding Max's victory. Pikachu glanced at him questioningly, but Red shook his head. "Not yet."

_**Heyo, everyone. Red and Max have had their first battles, and Misty'll have one next chapter. Unfortunately, School has started back up for me, so the whole chapter-a-day thing is officially over. I plan on updating a chapter maybe every week or so. **_

_** R&R, people! No, not rest and relaxation, Read and Review! Tell me what you think!**_

_** -Wolverinejoe**_


	4. First Impressions

_-Indigo Plateau-_

The sun was just beginning to rise, the rosy pink fingers of daybreak stretching across the sky, taking the whole of the world in its grasp. The League Village below was already alive with activity. Poké Marts were opening, restaurants and other assorted stores were flipping on the lights, awaiting what business the day might bring. The streets that had not five minutes ago been empty began to fill with Trainers and spectators, as well as Pokémon of all shapes and sizes.

Some distance away from the Village, a certain redhead wiped a bead of sweat off her face. "Good job, Golduck! Now, Hydro Pump!"

The blue Pokémon nodded, a torrent of water shooting out over the lake.

"Behind You! Psyshock!"

Golduck spun, eyes flashing. A disk of blue and purple energy flashed into existence, arcing through the air at incredible speed. The attack flew through the trees, exploding in a burst of purple light. A large oak cracked and fell under the force of the blast.

Golduck was panting heavily, eyes narrowed at the fallen tree. _"Duck Gol Golduck Gol!"_

"You said it, Golduck," Misty beamed. "You ready for our match today?"

The Water Type nodded. _"Golduck Gol-Golduck Duckgol!"_

Misty laughed. "You bet we will!" She dug into her backpack for a water bottle, taking a long swig before realizing Golduck was still standing before her. "We're done for now, Golduck. You can go chill for a while."

The Duck nodded, turning and diving headfirst into the lake. Misty chuckled as the Water Type splashed around. She remembered a time, before Golduck had evolved, when the Duck Pokémon had been unable to swim. In deep water, he would panic, thrashing about like he was about to drown. Once, he had had to wear a lifebelt in order to enjoy the water.

Now, however, Golduck was one of the strongest Pokémon on Misty's team. His telekinetic powers, combined with his grace and agility when in the water, made him an incredible battler. There was a widely-believed story floating around the Kanto League that Misty had once challenged the Cinnabar Island's Gym and defeated Blaine's entire party using only Golduck. It wasn't true, of course – Gyarados had helped. Somewhat.

A Vaporeon appeared on the far edge of the lake. It glanced at Golduck, who was currently seeing how high he could launch himself out of the water, then at Misty. Shrugging, the Vaporeon lay down in a patch of soft grass, resting in the warmth of the morning sun.

Misty's hand drifted to a small pouch on her belt as she eyed the Vaporeon. Casually standing and wandering around the lake, she caught Golduck's eye and nodded at the watery fox. Golduck nodded, swimming silently towards the Eeveelution. Misty withdrew a Pokéball from the pouch and tapped the button in its center, expanded it to the size of a baseball. _Ice Beam, _she mouthed to Golduck. The Duck Pokémon nodded.

"Now!" Misty yelled. Golduck opened his bill. A light blue beam of light shot out of his mouth, speeding towards the Vaporeon. Misty hurled the Pokéball.

A dark blue wall of energy appeared out of nowhere, surrounding the Eeveelution. The Ice Beam struck the barrier, exploding against it in a blast of frozen air. A blue sphere of energy shot towards Golduck, striking him square in the chest and sending him flying into the lake.

A blue-colored blur batted Misty's Pokéball from the air and raced towards the Gym Leader. **Thief! **A voice roared within her mind. The blur rushed Misty, forcing her up against a tree. A Lucario materialized right in front of her, one arm pinning her against the tree, a sphere of energy forming in the other. **Kidnapper! Abductor! **The Aura Sphere grew to the size of a bowling ball. The Lucario flipped backwards, charging the ball in both hands. Its eyes narrowed, a savage roar escaping the Aura Pokémon's maw.

"Athena!" The voice came from behind the Lucario. The Pokémon paused, but the Lucario's eyes remained locked upon Misty.

A man stalked forward, hands clenched into fists. "Athena. Explain yourself. _Now._"

**She tried to steal Eve! Tried to take her from under my very nose! She ordered her Pokémon to attack without warning! She – **

"And that is reason to assault her as you have done!? You could kill her."

The Lucario whipped its head around to face her master. **I know what I am doing. At the very most she will have a few broken ribs and a concussion. I am well aware of my own power.**

"Stop your attack. Now."

Athena growled. **You would let her go unpunished!? **

"She has committed no wrongdoing. She believed Eve to be a wild Pokémon. Any Trainer would have attempted to capture her."

**And they would have been met with the same response.**

"Halt your attack and return to camp. We will discuss this later."

Athena snarled, but complied, allowing the Aura gathered in her paws to dissipate into thin air. **As you wish, **_**Master. **_She glared once more at Misty before turning and disappearing into the forest.

Misty let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. The man sighed, watching the Lucario's receding form. "I apologize for Athena's behavior," he said, turning to the redhead. "She can be rather… protective. I hope she didn't startle you too badly."

"N-no… It's alright." Misty paused. "You're… Red, right?" she asked.

"Mm." He looked down at the ground, suddenly finding his shoes to be _very _interesting "Er… Eve. Would you please retrieve Ms. Waterflower's Golduck for me?" he asked abruptly, glancing at his Pokémon.

_"Eon!" _the Vaporeon said cheerfully, leaping into the water. Try as she might, Misty couldn't detect any traces of the water fox. The only indication that Eve was, in fact, in the water was Golduck's unconscious form drifting closer to the lake's edge.

"How do you know my name?"

Red grinned underneath his hood. "You're one of the strongest Gym Leaders in the Kanto Region. Not to mention one of the world's best Water Type Masters. It's kind of my job to know who all the strong Trainers are."

"Thanks, I guess," Misty said, scooping Golduck from the water. "Man," she mumbled to herself, "he's out cold." She sighed. "Guess I'll have to substitute him for… I dunno. Staryu, I guess. Maybe Aria." She stood, reaching for Golduck's Pokéball. "Thanks for saving my life and all that, Red, but I have to go heal Golduck _and _decide who's gonna take his place in the battle I have in…" she checked her Pokégear. "… forty-five minutes. So, if you'll excuse me."

"No need for that, Ms. Waterflower." Red gestured to the Duck Pokémon. "May I?"

"I guess," she replied, handing him Golduck.

"Right," he said, sitting back on his haunches. Cradling Golduck in one arm, he produced a small vial from somewhere within his cloak. The glass bottle was filled with a dark red liquid that looked eerily similar to blood. "This is a special concoction that will revive Golduck as well as healing most of his injuries." Uncapping the flask, he tilted Golduck's head back and poured a few drops of the stuff into Golduck's open mouth.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, Golduck, coughed, a violent shiver running up and down his spine. His labored breathing returned to normal, and he opened his eyes. _"Duck! Gol Golduck!"_

"No need to worry, friend," Red said, laying Golduck on the forest floor, "You're safe for now."

Golduck beamed, standing tall. His blue skin shone healthily, none of the wear from Athena's attack _or_ from his training beforehand evident anywhere on his person.

"There you are, Ms. Waterflower."

"Thanks. Now I don't have to switch Golduck out for my battle."

"Speaking of, shouldn't you get going if you want to make it to Cerulean Stadium in time?"

"Oh. Yeah." Misty produced Golduck's Pokéball. "Come on, big guy. We need to get back." Recalling the Duck, she nodded once more to Red. "Thanks again… Red."

"No trouble. Now, _I _have to go back to camp and talk to Athena." He sighed. "This won't be fun. Good luck in your battle, Ms. Waterflower. I'll try to make it if I can." Motioning for Eve to follow, Red walked back into the forest. "Until next time."

"See ya 'round," she replied, glancing down at Golduck's Pokéball. After a moment of two, she turned the other direction and began the long trek back to the League Village.

* * *

Ash took a shaky breath. "She didn't recognize me," he said, looking down at Eve. "That's good, right? We didn't want to reveal ourselves too early."

_"Por… Vaporeon reo vapor, on, Vapor-va?"_

"Yes. That was Misty."

_"Vaporeon vapore eon reo."_

Ash smiled. "Right. Thanks, Eve."

"_Eon!" _the Bubble Jet Pokémon replied happily.

Trainer and Pokémon fell silent as they neared their campsite, a small clearing eclipsed by a small river. Pikachu was resting uneasily in Ash's backpack; his other Pokémon were attempting to make theirselves unnoticeable. The Electric Mouse glanced up as Ash approached. _"Pika-Pichu, pika pikachu chu ka Chukapi?" _

Eve glanced questioningly at Ash, who nodded. _"Vaporeon va poreon vapor-reon re on vapor pore po."_

Ash left Eve to fill in Pikachu as to Athena's actions, electing instead to walk towards a large boulder. Athena sat motionlessly, staring into the water. She didn't move as Ash approached and sat next to her.

Neither spoke for a long minute. "Why did you attack?" Ash asked softly, finally breaking the silence.

…**Eve… …she was in danger... **

"Was she truly?"

**Of course she was! The girl was going to take her! I couldn't sit by and do nothing!**

"Come now, Athena. Eve is an incredibly powerful Pokémon. You really think she would be unable to hold her own?"

**No… …She can fight… **

"I'll ask again. Why did you attack?"

…**I guess I just… …I… **Athena sighed, gazing back at her reflection. **…I don't know. I didn't want…**

"…her to suffer as you have?"

Athena turned to face Ash. Her sapphire eyes were wet with tears. **Yes.**

* * *

_-Outskirts of Mahogany Town, 5 years prior-_

_It was cold, but that's not why Riolu was shaking. The tiny Emanation Pokémon was staring at her paws, her tiny little paws that Mother had said would one day grow big and strong, strong enough to wiled the Aura and bring honor to her family._

_They were stained red._

_Riolu trembled, a mere leaf in the unrelenting hurricane summoned by the wingbeats of Ho-Oh itself. Riolu hadn't wanted to do it, but the Big Man had made her. Pushed her into a small ring with a Caterpie that had looked even more terrified than she had been. Den Brother had taught her to fight, in case an Ursaring came to steal their den, like Father said happened during Cold-White. But Den Brother had always, _always _said to stop when Riolu had won and the mean Ursaring had run away._

_But the Big Man had told Riolu not to stop. He had yelled, and Riolu had kept fighting and fighting, until the cold ground was stained red with blood, the same blood that now coated Riolu's paws._

_Riolu started crying._

_The Big Man glared at her. "Shuddap, you." The Big Man's Zangoose ran over to Riolu's cage and punched the metal bars so hard the crate shook._

_Riolu whimpered, looking away from the Zangoose and at the other cages that lined the room. Dozens of other Pokémon filled them, from Pidgeys to Spinarak. Most were quiet, because they were scared of the Big Man. A Metapod in the cage next to Riolu was weeping silently, lying facedown in its cage. Maybe it had been the Caterpie's Den Brother. Riolu wanted to say sorry. She wanted to make the Metapod not so sad. But what she wanted most of all was to run away and find Father and Mother and Den Brother._

CRASH!

"Pika-Chuuu!"

_The sound of electricity echoed through the room, and Riolu saw a yellow mouse burst through the door. The Big Man's Zangoose snarled, turning toward it, but the Pikachu was already attacking it, striking the Cat Ferret Pokémon in the stomach with an electricity-infused punch. The Zangoose tumbled to the ground and lay still. Pikachu's eyes swept over the caged Pokémon. _"Pikapi!" _it called._

_A man ran in, a heavy cloak flying behind him. His dark hood had fallen back, revealing messy raven-black hair and light brown eyes that gleamed angrily in the low light of the room. "Good job, Pikachu." Dark Hood narrowed his eyes at the Big Man, who was still staring at the Pikachu in disbelief. Dark Hood blurred, appearing again next to the Big Man, punching him square in the jaw and following up with a knee to the stomach. The Big Man doubled over in pain, but Dark Hood grabbed him by his shirt and pressed him up against a wall. _

_Dark Hood snatched a small key from the Big Man's chest pocket. "Pikachu, unlock the cages," he said, not taking his eyes off the Big Man. "You're a sick, sick man, you know that? You force these innocent Pokémon – most are still hatchlings! – to kill. _Kill. _For sport!"_

_Big Man wheezed, barely able to breathe. "Are… are you going to kill me?"_

"_I could. You more than deserve Death. I could make it look like these Pokémon rebelled against you. But no. You're going to live. All your friends are unconscious. The authorities have been notified as to your position. They'll be here shortly."_

"_I'll get away, you know."_

"_I know. That's why I'm bothering to speak to you now. I'm here to give you a warning. You alone are going to escape the police raid. You're going to go, and you're going to tell everyone – the Underground Leagues, the Teams, the Rare Candy dealers – _everyone, _what happened tonight. You tell them there's a storm coming. You're going to tell them that their going to pay for their crimes. And if they don't –" Dark Hood raised a hand. A swirling orb of blue energy appeared in his palm. "Well, they better pray that I don't get my hands on them. Understand?"_

_The Big Man nodded forcefully, terrified of the sphere floating mere inches from his face. "Yes! Yes, I understand!"_

"_Good." In one fluid movement, Dark Hood dropped the Underground Trainer, who fell to the floor, hands on his throat, and fired the sphere in his palm at the wall. The wall exploded outwards, revealing the woods outside Mahogany Town._

_Riolu only now realized that Pikachu had long unlocked her cage. She stepped out, watching warily at the Big Man slowly got to his feet and fled through the newly-created exit, and looked up at Dark Hood._

_**Th-thank you, **__she stammered. _

_Dark Hood smiled warmly down at the Emanation Pokémon. "Of course, little one. Now go, go back to your Mother and Father."_

_Riolu shook her head. __**I… I don't know where they are…**_

"_Oh…" Dark Hood frowned for a moment. _

"Pikapi, pikachu pika chu pikapika?" _Pikachu asked._

_Dark Hood smiled, eyes lighting up. "Yes! Great idea, Pikachu!" kneeling down to Riolu, he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Would you like to come with us, little one?"_

_**With… with you? **__Dark Hood nodded. Riolu beamed for the first time in what must have been weeks. __**Y… Yes!**_

_Dark Hood smiled. "Welcome to the family…" he paused for a moment, "…Athena. My name is Ash."_

* * *

Ash nodded solemnly. "As I thought. Athena, the man that took you – and I hesitate to call him even that – from your family was evil. There is no denying that. He stole you as a hatchling and forced you to fight and kill for his own amusement. You have every right to feel anger, anguish, rage… even guilt.

"But you must believe that not everyone is like that. You must believe there are still good people in this world. Am I not proof enough of that?"

**Y-yes.**

"Then do me this: try to look past the surface. Not everything is always what it seems. The girl you attacked? Her name was Misty Waterflower."

Athena gasped. **W-waterflower? The one –**

"Yes. You see? You believed her to be a thief. I perceive her _quite _differently. She is an incredible battler… and a very close friend." Ash paused, gazing in the distance.

**I… I understand, Master.**

Ash smiled warmly. He stood and opened his arms. Athena hesitated for a brief moment before embracing her friend and Trainer.

"Now," Ash said, breaking away from Athena, "I'm going back to town; Misty's battle will begin soon. Anyone wish to join me?"

"_Pika pika!" _Pikachu exclaimed, jumping out Ash's backpack and racing up his shoulder.

_ "Eon!" _

**I… I would like to go as well, Master. **Athena glanced at Ash before continuing. **I want to apologize to Waterflower.**

Ash smiled. "Of course, Athena." With that, the four set out from their camp to the League Village.

* * *

-_Cerulean Stadium-_

"BOTH TRAINERS CHOOSE YOUR POKÉMON!"

Misty was the first to react. "Take the plunge, Golduck!" she yelled, hurling her Pokéball onto the stadium.

Her opponent answered the challenge, throwing her own Pokéball. "Take him on, Steelix!" In a flash, the huge Iron Snake appeared on the field, screeching horribly.

May paled at the sight of the Steelix. "Geez, it looks like Misty's got her work cut out for her."

Max shrugged. "Nah. Steelix is part Ground Type, so most Water Type moves will be super-effective against it. Besides, Golduck is one of Misty's strongest Pokémon. Did you know that Misty beat the Cinnabar Island Gym Leader's entire team using only Golduck?"

"TRAINERS AT THE READY! BEGIN!"

"Right, Golduck, get up close with Ice Punch!"

"Steelix, Iron Tail!"

Golduck raced forwards, his fist glowing white as his webbed hands froze over. Steelix's tail also began to shine as the Iron Snake Pokémon readied the attack. Steelix roared, spinning so its tail shot towards Golduck.

At the last second, Golduck leapt high into the air, hurdling over the Iron Tail. Flipping in midair, Golduck sped towards Steelix. His fist slammed into Steelix's midsection, and the giant snake roared in pain. The sound of crackling ice could be heard throughout the stadium as the Iron Snake's body froze over, turning the gray rock that covered the Pokémon a deathly white. Steelix struggled to move, trying in vain to break the icy prison that slowly spread across it, until all that remained was a life-size ice sculpture of the Iron Snake.

"Great job, Golduck! Now use Psychic!"

"Steelix! Break free!"

Golduck's eyes flashed. The small jewel imbedded in his forehead glowed dark purple as Psychic energy flew towards the frozen Steelix.

The icy statue began to glow, and the sound of shattering ice filled the arena. The ice disintegrated with the sound of a thousand cymbals as a beam of yellow and orange energy shot towards Golduck.

"Protect!" Misty cried, but it was too late. The Hyper Beam struck Golduck dead-center, propelling him effortlessly into the stadium walls, which shook with the impact. "Golduck!"

Golduck's ears rang. He couldn't hear Misty ordering his next attack, but it almost didn't matter. His eyes narrowed to slits as he picked himself off the floor of the arena. The enemy Steelix stood tall on its tail, taunting the Water Type. Rage washed over Golduck like a scalding river. His pupils dilated, his heartbeat nearly doubled, the ruby on his head shone with a blinding light.

Golduck lowered his head and took off towards the Iron Snake. Tendrils of water shot out of Golduck's mouth and curved towards Steelix, striking the snake along its metallic body. Steelix tried to slither away from the fast-approaching Duck Pokémon, but at the speed at which he was moving, it was a futile attempt. When Steelix was only yards away, Golduck launched himself forwards, his entire body glowing a bright white. Somersaulting in midair, Golduck struck Steelix with the flat of his tail.

Steelix didn't even have time to cry out. It was unconscious before hitting the floor – with enough force to shake the entire stadium.

The referee raised his flag. "STEELIX IS UNABLE TO FIGHT; THE WINNER OF THIS MATCH IS MISTY WATERFLOWER!"

Up in the stands, Athena sat, eyes wide. **That was amazing…**

_"Va Vaporeon…" _Eve added.

Red chuckled. "I told you Misty was a good Trainer. Come on," he said, standing and gesturing for his Pokémon to follow, "let's go say 'hi'.

_**And there you have chapter four, as if that wasn't obvious enough. We got a little bit of Athena and Ash's past, and were introduced to 'Red's' third Pokémon. The others should be coming along soon.**_

_** I'm fairly certain Chapter Five will arrive (I'm a poet! Wouldn't you know it?) pretty quickly. I have a plan!**_

_** The Review button is feeling lonely. Won't you be Its friend? **_


	5. And Now, For Something Totally Different

_-Viridian City-_

Persian crept silently through the empty streets of Viridian. Now and again, he would glance over his shoulder, but each time there was nothing to be seen. Nonetheless, he couldn't shake the feeling that someone somewhere was watching him.

He reached a particularly run-down alleyway near the center of the city. Glancing over his shoulder again, he entered the alley and found the small button hidden in a secret access panel that blended in almost perfectly with the brick walls. He glanced over his shoulder once more. No one. Persian took a deep breath and pressed the button with his paw.

Immediately, a large section of the brick wall slid open noiselessly. Persian stepped inside, and the hidden elevator closed and descended into darkness. A small camera mounted in the corner of the lift zoomed in on Persian, and somewhere underground a Rocket Grunt saw an image of the Classy Cat Pokémon appear on his computer screen.

A small _ding! _sounded. The doors slid open, and Persian stepped out, tail lifted high in the air. The Rocket Grunts on elevator duty started, and one reached for the Pokéball on his belt.

"No, you idiot!" the other said in a hushed voice. "That's Persian!"

"What!?" the Grunt glanced at his partner. "You mean –"

"Yes! Put the damned Pokéball away before the Boss kills us both!"

Persian smiled at the Grunts' hushed exchange. _So, they think I'm da Boss's Persian. Good. _Flicking his tail at the two guards – who flinched as if he'd shot a Hyper Beam or something – he continued along down the halls.

It had been years since his last visit to the Team Rocket Headquarters, but he knew precisely where he was going. Trying his best to look like he belonged, Persian rounded a corner and hurried down the corridor. The map in his head told him he was just passing the main laboratories. He could just hear the scientists discussing the 'latest version' of something. He slowed and perked up his ears.

"…we may want to run a few more tests before we ship out to Indigo – you know, make sure she's working properly."

"Why? We know the machine works."

"Yeah, on a small scale. One to two hundred Pokéballs. How do we know how she'll perform in Indigo Stadium, surrounded by hundreds upon thousands of Trainers? Indigo Stadium has a capacity of one hundred and twenty _thousand _people, almost all of which will have at least one Pokémon. During a primetime match, that's nearly half a million Pokémon. How do we know she'll hold up under the pressure?"

"Hyneman seems to think she will."

"Well, yeah, but-"

"Shh. Did you hear something?"

Persian froze. He slowly walked backwards, concealing himself in the shadows. A short, pale man in a white labcoat glanced out the door, glancing up and down the hallway. Persian's heart hammered in his chest as the man's gaze swept over the empty hallways. "Must've been my imagination," the man muttered. "I've been working too much."

Persian slowly released the breath that he'd been holding. That had been way too close. _Gotta focus, _he thought. _Now, if I was da Boss, where would I be? _He thought for a moment. Nodding to himself, he took off again down the hall, making sure to stay hidden in the shadows.

He paused at a large set of doors at the end of the hall. The doors were slightly ajar, and Persian peered into the room.

Inside, a man sat on a large chair, back facing the doors. He was watching the large video screen before him, absentmindedly stroking the Persian on his lap. The large screen was replaying a battle from the PWT. _"Aura Storm!" _the hooded Trainer yelled. His Pikachu summoned a black cloud, and lightning seemed to strike the Lucario at its side. The Lucario then launched the attack at their opponents, and the stadium itself seemed to explode outwards.

"It's him," Giovanni said. "It has to be."

The Admin at his side glanced up at the screen. "Are you sure?"

"Look at him. He's wearing the same cloak Ketchum did in Ecruteak, and Aura Storm is one of Ketchum's signature moves."

"So..? Will this affect our plans regarding the World Tournament?"

"Undoubtedly." Giovanni thought for a moment, his hand resting on his Persian's back. "We go ahead. We've planned for this. Tell the troops to be ready. We move at dusk."

"Yes, sir!" The Admin saluted, turning on her heels and all but sprinting out of the door. Persian realized too late that she was headed straight for his vantage point outside the doors. The doors flew open, and the Admin tripped over Persian, falling to the cold floor with a shriek. She leapt to her feet, hand flying to the Pokéballs at her waist. "You!" she spat, eyes narrowing at Persian.

Giovanni's chair swiveled around. "Well, well," he said, raising an eyebrow, "if it isn't Persian. It is Persian now, yes?" Giovanni's Persian hissed, leaping of Giovanni's lap and extending its claws. "I must say I wasn't expecting you. Have you finally regained your senses and come back to rejoin the Team?"

"You wish!" Persian snarled, backing away from the leader of Team Rocket. The Admin behind him unclipped a Pokéball and held it out.

"One more move, Persian."

Giovanni regarded Persian. "It seems we are at an impasse, Persian. You have information regarding our plans at the World Tournament. Information that could prove disastrous should it fall into the wrong hands. I offer you one last chance. Join us… or die."

"I tink I'll take door numba tree, if it's all da same ta you's," Persian said. He spun and raced towards the Admin, the jewel in his forehead flashing gold. Dozens of coins, glowing a bright white, hurled themselves at the Admin, who yelped and threw up her arms to defend herself from the monetary assault. Persian sprinted past her and down the halls.

Giovanni swore. "Get him!" He ordered, and his Persian took off after the intruder. "Make sure he doesn't get out alive."

Persian's paws pounded against the cold linoleum floors. His heart pounded with such intensity he thought he may have a heart attack. He could hear Giovanni's Persian, mere footfalls behind him. He couldn't stop to look, he couldn't attack; all he could do was run, run and pray he made it out.

He was nearing the exit. He rounded a corner, slamming into a guard on patrol. The two hit the floor, and in a flash, Giovanni's Persian was on him. Hissing, Persian kicked the cat off him and leapt to his feet, striking the prone guard on the back of the head. The Rocket grunted and fell unconscious under the blow.

_"Per persian sian, (Here we are again,)" _Giovanni's Persian growled, circling the ex-Rocket.

"I _really _shoulda kill'd you's when I had da chance," Persian replied, matching the other's pace. The two Persians circled each other, looking for an opening. Without warning, Giovanni's Persian pounced, flying through the air towards him. Persian sidestepped the assault and slashed out with his claws, tearing a thin gash into his opponent's cheek. Yelping, the injured Normal Type spun and rushed Persian, tackling him headfirst.

Persian flew backwards, tumbling to the floor. Snarling, he leapt to his feet. His forehead briefly flashed orange, and dozens of stones, each no bigger than a fist, glimmered into existence, sped towards Giovanni's Persian, whose eyes briefly opened wide before the stones struck all along its body.

The Rock Type move forced Giovanni's Persian back several feet. Crimson eyes narrowing to slits, the so-called Classy Cat Pokémon growled from deep within its throat. _"Per ian ersian Persi Persian-Per, (Giovanni will have your head on a stake,)" _It threatened, front paws glowing a deep violet.

"You said somethin' similar last time you's and I fought. Look how dat one turned out." Persian countered, relaxing his muscles and taking a deep breath.

_"Per Persian sian! (Not this time!)" _Giovanni's Persian cried, racing towards his opponent, claws extended and shining darkest lavender.

Persian waited two heartbeats and closed his eyes. An orange outline surrounded him, and he _moved. _Tensing his legs, Persian leapt straight up, over the Normal Type, and twisted in midair, landing perfectly behind his attacker. Persian lashed out with his claws, raking them over the other Persian's fur. It cried out in pain as the Persian's claws cut into him, slashing four long cuts into either side of the Normal Type. Giovanni's Persian collapsed, blood staining its creamy fur.

Persian stood victorious over his enemy. "Twice now," he said, cleaning his claws on the loser's fur. "I've bested you. Dis is da second time I've had your life in my paws, and da second time I'm givin' it back to ya." He lowered his head so he was staring right into his conquest's eyes. "Dere _won't _be a third. Understand?" Giovanni's Persian nodded weakly. "Good." Twitching his tail in disgust, he turned and raced away.

Persian made it to the elevator to find the guards still at their posts, making small talk about whatever it was elevator guards talked about in the small hours of the night. They stared at Persian, eyes wide and fearful at the blood that caked his furry coat. They'd heard stories from Grunts and Operatives about the Giovanni's 'Top Cat', and they shuddered to think of what – or _who – _the blood originally belonged to.

Persian grinned evilly at the two guards, flicking his tail as he had before. Inside, however, he was strung as taut as a bowstring, ready to pounce should the Rockets realize he was _not_, in fact, Giovanni's.

An alarm sounded somewhere within the headquarters. Giovanni's voice thundered throughout the underground. "We have an intruder," he said calmly, "a Persian, to be exact. He has information concerning our presence at the Pokémon World Tournament. He cannot be allowed to escape. Use any force necessary to bring him down. He does not leave. That is all."

Silence reigned for a moment as the guards processed this information. Persian could practically _hear _the gears and cogs spinning in their minds. He took a step towards the two just as they were unclipping their Pokéballs. "Listen, fellas." He smirked, seeing the Grunts eyes widen to the size of Voltorbs. "We can do dis da easy way, or da hard way." He raised a paw, claws extending as he did so. "See dis paw? Wit' one cut, I can knock your head clean off ya shoulders. Or I could go's right to ya heart. Get it? One way or anoda, I'm getting' outta here. And I'd ratha not get more blood on my fur."

The Grunts nodded, lowering their Pokéballs. "We-we didn't s-see nothin'," one said, nudging her partner, who nodded fervently. "Yea! No Persian here! Please don't kill us! We only signed up a week ago!"

Persian glared at the two for a moment longer. He walked backwards into the open elevator, not daring to trust these to newbie Rockets.

Elsewhere, a man monitoring the security cameras saw Persian enter the elevator and press the button that led to the surface. He tapped a button on his radio. "Boss? I found him. He's in Elevator Swablu-Nine. I'm sending a team after him now."

The doors opened. Persian blinked in the morning light. It was hard to believe it was still only sunrise. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he set off, jogging towards the city center. Avoiding the crowds of people going to work and tourists gaping at the sights, he stuck to the alleyways, not wanting to bring any more attention to himself.

_"Krow!" _

Persian glanced over his shoulder. Above him flew a flock of Murkrow and Spearow, honing in on him. "Arceusdamnit!" he swore, breaking into a full out sprint. The Flying Types above him cawed and screeched as he raced up, over an old wooden fence, through the busy streets and into a large apartment complex. He ran up four flights of stairs and all the way down the hall, bursting through a faded green door.

Chimecho jingled a greeting, floating happily near James, who barely glanced up from the stove. "Hey, Persian. We were wondering where you were. I'm fixing Jessie some eggs; I can make –"

"No time for dat! Dey're comin'! Dey'll be here any minute!" Persian exclaimed, pacing around the tiny room.

James raised an eyebrow. "What? Who's coming?"

"Who da ya think, James? Team Rocket!"

"What about Team Rocket?" asked a voice from behind Persian. The Normal Type whirled around to see Jessie walk in from the bedroom, tying her hair back into a long ponytail. "What's going on?"

"Jessie! We gotta get outta here! Da Team's out for us!" _Well, for me, _he corrected silently.

Jessie's eyes narrowed. "Why? What happened?"

Persian glanced at the door. "I went down ta HQ this morning." Ignoring the gasp from Jessie and the splatter of eggs hitting the floor, Persian continued, "You remember I was talkin' 'bout how da Team had somethin' planned for da PWT, right? Well, I had ta know what, so I went down and spied on da Boss. He was talkin' bout… troops or somethin'. Dey're supposed to 'mobilize at dusk', whateva dat means.

"So, I was 'bout ta get outta dere, and outta nowhere dis Admin runs into me and sounds de alarm, and den da Boss's Persian and I fought, and I nearly had ta kill dese newbie Grunts, and now dey're coming here! I saw a whole fleet of Murks and Spearows chasing me on da way back! We gotta get outta here!"

Jessie raised an eyebrow. "How do you know they were chasing you?"

At that exact moment, a rattling noise came from the window, as though someone were tapping on the glass pane. Jessie, in somewhat of a shock form Persian's story, turned and opened the blinds. A Spearow screeched at her, pecking once more on the windowpane before flying away from the building and rejoining the mass of birds that hung above the apartment like a thick cloud of feathers.

"Dat proof enough for ya?" Persian questioned. "Come on! We gotta split! We need ta head ta Indigo Plateau and warn Ash!"

James looked up. "Huh? The Twerp's at the PWT?" Persian nodded, and he glanced at Jessie, pushing a stray lock of lavender hair out of his eyes. "We have to warn him. We owe Ash."

Jessie nodded. "I can have a bag ready in five minutes. Pack us some food." And with that, she turned on her heel and returned to the bedroom.

Ten minutes later found the trio nearing Route 22. Persian glanced over his shoulder. Luckily, they seemed to have managed to sneak out of the city without alerting the swarm of Flying Types that still floated above the city. He hadn't realized Team Rocket had so many Murkrow and Spearow.

"Man, I wish we still had our balloon," Jessie complained. "We'd be halfway to the PWT by now."

"Mm." James agreed, untangling Chimecho from the strangulatory grip it had on his face. "But a huge Meowth-shaped balloon isn't exactly inconspicuous, now is it?"

"C'mon, guys," Persian said impatiently, "We gotta get ta da PWT before da Boss does."

"_Krow!"_

As one, James, Jessie, and Persian looked skyward. The cloud of birds had drifted closer, and the mass of Flying Types were honing in on the trio. "Run!" they screamed simultaneously, dropping any façade of innocence and sprinting into the forests, Murkrow and Spearow right on their heels.

_**Heyo, everybody! I'm ba-aaack!**_

_**Ugh. This chapter took perfectly too long to write. I'm glad it's over with, 'cause now I can get on with the **_**Next chapter! **_**This one'll be better, I promise.**_

_**Please Review!**_

_**Ugh. I even said **_**Please. **_**That should show you how much I wants your feedback. Do eet!**_

_** -Wolverinejoe**_


	6. Battles and Backstories

-_Indigo Plateau, Pokémon League Village-_

"Nice job, Golduck," Misty said, grinning down at the Water Type. "You did great, as usual."

_"Duck gol Golduck!" _Golduck replied, beaming up at his Trainer.

"Yeah." Misty slid her backpack over her shoulder and stood. "C'mon, let's go meet the others. Maybe we can catch breakfast."

Trainer and Pokémon quickly exited the Stadium's locker room, navigating the large maze that was Cerulean Stadium and somehow finding their way out onto the plaza outside the huge arena. "Keep an eye out for the guys," Misty instructed, scanning the crowd for her friends.

"Misty!" Someone called from somewhere to the left of her. She turned, searching the horde of people for the source of the voice. Finally, her gaze landed on a teenaged girl with deep blue hair. Dawn waved erratically at the Gym Leader before pointing to a relatively empty section of the plaza. "Over here!"

Misty elbowed her way through the crowds over to Dawn, who gestured for her to follow before turning and all but running headfirst into two teenaged boys discussing the battle. "Sorry!" Misty heard Dawn shriek, continuing along her breakneck pace.

They reached the empty section of the plaza. Dawn waved May, Max, and Brock over. "Great battle, Misty~!" she said, glancing at her Pokégear. "Golduck's gotten so strong!"

"Tell me about it," Brock said, grinning at the redhead. "That was one of the best battles I've ever seen! Remind me not to get on your _or_ Golduck's bad side."

_"Duck Golduck duc olduck!" _Golduck announced proudly, and the group erupted into laughter.

"Let's go get some food," Misty said. "We were up early this morning and I'm hungry." The group nodded their agreement and set off towards town. It was still early morning, but the streets were nevertheless packed with people and Pokémon.

"Max, do you have another battle today?" Dawn asked after a moment or two.

"Nope. My next match is… uh…" Max scrolled through the listings on his Pokégear, "tomorrow afternoon. "Hey, cool! Red has a match this afternoon!"

"I do?"

All present jumped at the sound of the voice behind them. Whirling around, they saw Red himself, grinning slyly at their surprised reactions. As before his Pikachu was perched on his shoulder, waving happily at the group. His Lucario stood at his side, but she seemed less aggressive than before, even daring to smile at Misty. This time, however, Red was joined by another Pokémon that walked opposite his Lucario. The Vaporeon's gaze flit over May, Max, and Brock before focusing upon Misty and Golduck "I have a battle today?" Red repeated, raising an invisible eyebrow.

"Uh… yeah…" Max said, hurriedly glancing at his Pokégear again, "at one thirty. Against… um… Kiyo Tajiri. Hey… isn't that..?"

"Kiyo Tajiri was the Leader of Saphron City's Fighting Dojo," Red finished, "at least, before Sabrina Natsumi challenged him for leadership of the City's Gym." He paused, glancing at Max. "She annihilated him, of course. The rank of 'Gym' was stripped from the Dojo and given to Natsumi and her Psychics. Tajiri went into seclusion, and very rarely leaves the vast network of caves he resides in.

Brock stared. Not many people knew about Kiyo and the history of Saffron's Gym. He had met Tajiri once, back when they were both Gym Leaders. "Well, that'll certainly be an interesting battle," he said, sticking out his hand. "I'm Brock, by the way."

Red accepted the hand. "Red." He smiled. "I've met Ms. Waterflower, but I'm afraid I don't know the rest of you…"

Dawn raised a hand. "I'm Dawn. Berlitz. Dawn Berlitz. I'm a Coordinator." She made to say more, but was cut off by a friendly nudge from May.

"I'm May Maple. Norman Maple's my father."

"Max Maple."

"Oh, right. I saw your battle the other day."

Max sucked in a breath. "Aaaand?"

Red smirked. "And, it was a good battle. Your Gardevoir is very strong and very spirited. The same with your Quilava. You made some mistakes, but all in all it was a good match."

Max felt lightheaded. He tried to say something – a 'thank you', perhaps – but nothing came out. Red laughed and ruffled his olive green hair.

May grabbed her brother by the neck of his shirt and dragged him backwards. "Ignore him," she said. "He gets like this sometimes."

"I'm sure." His Pikachu coughed, and Red's eyes widened ever so slightly. "Oh! I almost forgot. Everyone, meet Pikachu, Athena, and Eve."

_"Pi Pikachu!"_

**Hello.**

_"Va poreon."_

"Nice to meet you all," Brock said. "We were just going to grab a bite to eat. Care to join us?"

Red glanced at Pikachu, then nodded. "Sure."

* * *

_-Later-_

"- so then Dawn bursts in with her hair on fire, shrieking like a baby Whismur. We had to hold her down so Piplup could put her hair out. She didn't talk to either of us for the next two days. She'd just stare at us like this," May laughed, narrowing her eyes and setting her mouth into a thin line. She was able to hold the expression for less than a second before bursting out laughing again. "Celebi, she's doing it now! Look!" She pointed wildly at Dawn, who took a small sip of her drink, glaring at May with enough venom to poison a Muk. May, either oblivious to her friend's discomfort or merely reveling in it, wiped a tear from her eye, sighing. "Man, it was great."

"So Red," said Dawn suddenly, attempting to retain at least some of the dignity she'd had when she'd woken up that morning, "What's your story? Where are you from?"

The question seemed to take the hooded Trainer off-guard, for he hesitated a moment before shrugging. "Kanto, originally, but I haven't been home in several years."

"Why not?" asked Brock.

Again Red shrugged. "I've been traveling. I was in Orre for a while, and Johto, and even Unova for a time. It's easier to say where I haven't been. I've been pretty much everywhere, the last few years especially."

Max whistled. "Orre? Isn't that place like really dangerous?"

Red grinned. "Not anymore."

Misty pushed back her chair and stood. "I'mma go get another drink," she announced, shaking her empty cup. "Be right back."

Athena waited half a beat before standing as well. **Excuse me, Master, **she said, following the Gym Leader.

Brock raised a questioning eyebrow at Athena's retreating form. "What was that about?" he asked to no one in particular."

"Oh, her. She's just going to apologize to Misty for trying to kill her, that's all," Red said nonchalantly, scratching Pikachu on the head.

"Oh. Okay th – wait, WHAT?" May spluttered on her drink, spilling the dark brown liquid all over the table. Max applauded sarcastically as Dawn patted her fellow Coordinator on the back, while Brock cleaned up the mess. "What'd you mean, Athena tried to kill her?" May rasped, coughing.

Red shook his head, trying not to laugh. "I mean precisely that," he said after a moment or so.

"Seriously, though," May said, massaging her throat. "What happened?"

Red glanced at Pikachu. The Electric Mouse shrugged and reached for an open bottle of ketchup. "Well," he said, leaning in conspiratorially, "This morning, Misty was up early, training for her match today, when Eve appears." He gestured at the Eeveelution, who glanced up briefly at the mention of her name. "Like any Trainer would, Misty attempted to capture her. Then, Athena appeared, knocked out Golduck and was about to attack Misty when I showed up and stopped her." Red shrugged. "It's understandable – Athena was just trying to protect Eve – but nevertheless she wanted to apologize."

The group was silent as they digested that particular bit of information – no pun intended. Finally Dawn asked the question that was on all their minds. "Why'd she attack? I mean, if Eve is anything like Pikachu or Athena, she'd be able to hold her own, right?"

"That is more or less exactly what I said to her. She had her reasons, however. I won't tell you what they are though, not without her permission. Athena had a… well, traumatic childhood, to say the very least."

**That is putting it lightly, **Athena said, retaking her seat next to her Trainer. Her eyes flickered to meet Misty's, and she sighed. **I'll say this once and once only. I don't like reliving the past; what's done is done. I assume you're all familiar with the Underground Trainer's League? **

No one said a word, and Red finally spoke up. "The Underground is a large gang of Trainers who believe the Official Pokémon League is too, ah, strict in its rulings concerning battles and the winning of a match. They think any Pokémon that loses is not fit to live; they think the strong should survive and the weak should perish."

**Underground fights are to the death, **Athena agreed.

Dawn gasped. May put a hand to her mouth. Max just stared, eyes wide. Misty shook her head sadly. She knew of the Underground, as did Brock. As Leaders, it had been part of their job to enforce Pokémon League rules – especially those concerning welfare of Pokémon – and to take in anyone in violation of them.

Athena continued. **I was born five years ago. I don't remember much of my home, only small things, like the smell of Mother's fur, or Father's smile whenever he watched Brother and I sparring. Brother always promised me that we would grow up and be the strongest Lucario to ever live, that we would travel the world with each other and have adventures and even meet the Legendaries. **She smiled sadly.

**Then he came.**

"Who?" Max dared to ask.

**The Big Man, I called him, for that's what he was. Large and muscular and always angry. He took me when I was two months old. I was out exploring, and he came. **She shuddered. **He didn't use Pokéballs. No, he was too cheap for those. Rather, he stuffed me in a cage and took me away. **

**There was something of an Underground Gym in Mahogany Town. Not a Gym, per se, but a place where all the Underground Trainers would go to fight each other. The Big Man took me there and shoved me into a room with dozens of other Pokémon, all in cages like me.**

**I waited there for a few hours, trying to talk to the others. None of them really said anything. They were all too afraid. I suppose I was too young to understand exactly what was happening. I was confused.**

**He came again. He took me to another part of the Gym. There were a whole bunch of people crowding around a small battlefield, maybe the size of a boxing ring. The Big Man took me out and threw me into the ring. Another man, smaller than him, brought out a Caterpie. Someone rang a bell.**

**We fought. I knew how to battle. Brother had taught me. But even then, I knew you were always supposed to stop when you won. When your opponent had ran away or was unconscious at your feet. I won, but it wasn't good enough. The Big Man yelled, and I… kept fighting. You can imagine what happened next.**

Silence. The air itself seemed heavy, as though the weight of the story were pressing down on all present. In a way, it was. Red laid a comforting hand on Athena's shoulder, finishing the story. "Later that night, I raided the Gym. Pikachu and I knocked out the guards and released all the captive Pokémon. Athena stayed with us."

"…" The group stared at Red's conclusion to the tale. It was Misty that finally broke the silence. "That's… I'm sorry."

**Sorry? Don't be sorry. Save your sorrow for those who need it. Save your sorrow for the dead.**

More silence. Red coughed, looking away. "I apologize for bringing everybody down like this; I shouldn't have said anything." He glanced at Athena, then back to the group. "We should go. We have a match to prepare for." He stood, motioning for Eve and Athena. "I hope I'll see you all at my battle..?"

Brock nodded. "We'll be there."

Red nodded, a small smile forming on his lips. "Come on, guys. Let's go."

* * *

"Go! Go! Go!" Jessie yelled, purple hair flying behind her as she crashed through the trees.

James' feet had long since lost all feeling in them. He didn't reply to Jessie, merely quickened his pace, hand clutching Chimecho's Pokéball so hard his knuckles were white. Persian raced ahead of them, not speaking except to cry for them to run faster or to turn this way or that.

They'd been running for an hour now, maybe two. The Flying Types chasing them were relentless, not slowing even for a minute. They'd followed them all the way from Viridian, intent on stopping the ex-Rockets at all costs. The birds' shrieking rang in Persian's ears, a cacophonous mesh of noise that pressed down on them like a dozing Snorlax.

"Dis way!" Persian yelled. "I got Ash's scent! He's not too far from here!"

_Thank Arceus, _James thought, running just a little faster. If anyone could stop the swarm of Murkrow and Spearow that bore down upon them, it was the Twerp and his Pikachu.

Jessie glanced over her shoulder. Was it her imagination, or was the cloud of Flying Types lessening? Were they getting further away? Her brow furrowed, and she returned her attention to the forests before her – only to trip over an exposed tree root and fall to the earth with a shriek.

"Jessie!" James was at her side in a flash. She tried to stand, but a starburst of pain radiated from her ankle, and she collapsed again.

"I twisted my ankle," she said between rapid breaths. "I can't walk."

James snatched a Pokéball from his waist. "We'll have to fight our way out," he said, tapping the release button on the ball. In a flash of light, an orange canine Pokémon appeared. "Growlie, we need your help!"

"_Grow lithe growlithe!" _the Puppy Pokémon nodded, turning to face the oncoming horde of Flying Types.

"Aura Sphere!"

A Lucario burst through the trees, a ball of swirling blue energy charging in its hands. Roaring, the Aura Pokémon released the sphere into the crowd of Bird Pokémon.

"Water Pulse!"

A Vaporeon joined the Lucario, eyes glowing a bright blue. An orb of water swirled into existence before the water fox's forehead. _"Eon!" _the Eeveelution cried, firing the attack at the Murkrow and Spearow. The orb exploded into water when it struck, soaking the birds through and through. Many of the Flying Types fell to the ground; some flew around, confused after the liquid onslaught.

"Thunderbolt!"

A yellow blur sped through the trees, racing towards the other Pokémon. Leaping up the Lucario's body in a single bound, the Pikachu vaulted off the Aura Pokémon's shoulder, cheeks sparking with electric charge. _"Pi ka CHUUU!" _the Electric Mouse screeched, releasing a current of electricity from its body. The lightningbolt snaked towards the Murkrow and Spearow.

Normally, any Electric Type attack would be super-effective against Flying Types such as those that were chasing Jessie, James, and Persian. However, aforementioned Flying Types were still soaked by the Vaporeon's Water Pulse attack. So the Thunderbolt wasn't just super-effective.

It was devastating.

A cloaked Trainer appeared, frowning at the unconscious Flying Types that littered the ground. "Nice job, guys."

"Ash!"

Ash turned, facing the ex-Rockets. His face broke into a grin, and his hood fell back. "What are you guys doing here?"

Persian spoke up. "It's about da Boss."

Ash narrowed his eyes, then nodded. "I see. Follow me; we can talk at camp."

* * *

"So, what's this about Giovanni?" Ash asked.

Jessie and James were sitting around a fire. Persian was pacing. He glanced up at Ash's question.

"Da Boss's comin' here," he said flatly. Finally sitting down, he took a deep breath and continued. "I went back to da HQ early dis mornin'. I heard da Boss talkin' bout their plans for da PWT. He said dat da 'troops would mobilize at dusk'.

"Troops? You mean Grunts? Operatives?"

"No. He specifically said 'troops'. And he knows you're here, too. Also, I heard some labcoats talkin' 'bout some kinda machine they needed for wheneva dey got here. Somethin' bout Indigo Stadium and da Trainers' Pokémon."

Ash stroked his chin. "Do you have any idea what the machine does?"

"No. Only dat one of da labcoats wanted ta run more tests 'fore dey came here. He wanted to be sure it worked on a larger scale, or somethin' like dat."

Ash turned to face Jessie. "Jessie, you're the criminal mastermind here: What do you think Giovanni's planning?"

Tucking a strand of purple hair behind her ear, Jessie's eyebrows furrowed. "From what Persian has told us, we know the machine affects Pokéballs in some way. It might disable them from being opened; it might be a way of stealing the Pokéballs themselves. We don't have enough information at this point to know for sure. If it were one of our schemes, though," she continued, pointing to James and herself, "I'd try to find a way to steal the Pokéballs. Disabling them doesn't make sense, because then none of our own people would be able to use their own Pokémon…" she trailed off, lost in thought.

James gazed at her. "Have I ever told you I love it when you talk diabolical?"

Ash stood. "I have a battle coming up soon. You guys are welcome to stay here as long as you want." Pulling up his hood, he turned to his Pokémon. "We're going to do it this way, guys. Who actually _wants _to fight today?"

"_Nine!"_

"_Eon!"_

"_Pika!"_

Ash nodded, retuning to of his Pokémon to their balls. Pikachu jumped up and landed on his shoulder. "By the way, Jessie, James, Persian: I haven't exactly told anyone who I am yet. I intend to, but for the time being, call me Red whenever we're not here at camp, okay?" Not waiting for a reply, Ash set off for the League Village, leaving Jessie and James to wonder about Giovanni's plot.

* * *

_-Terra Stadium-_

"Where's Misty?" Max asked, sitting down next to Brock.

"She's in the Gym Leader's box," the former Gym Leader replied, pointing to an enclosed section of the stands.

"Awwww, no fair," May complained. "Misty gets air conditioning and great seats, and we get _this? _What's up with that?"

"Hey, these seats aren't so bad!" Brock argued, glancing down at the arena. "Besides, she told me the only reason she's there is to ask the other Leaders if they know anything about Red and the Underground Trainer's League."

"Oh."

"Look! The match is about to start!"

"WELCOME, ONE AND ALL, TO THE NEXT BATTLE IN THE POKÉMON WORLD TOURNAMENT! ON ONE SIDE, WE HAVE THE KARATE MASTER, THE LEADER OF SAFFRON CITY'S FIGHTING DOJO, KKKKIIIIYYYYOOOO TTTTAAAAJJJJIIIRRRRIIII!"

The audience cheered as a man dressed in a full karate gi walked out onto the battlefield. He raised a single fist to the crowd, nodding once to the referee.

"So, that's Kiyo," May said. "You think he'll give Red any trouble? He was a Gym Leader, after all."

"I think Red has his work cut out for him," Brock replied. "Master Tajiri was a good friend of mine before he left, and an excellent battler."

"AND FACING HIM, THE HOODED TRAINER HIMSELF, THE MYSTERIOUS NEWCOMER, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, GIVE IT UP FOR RRRRREEEEEEEDDDDDDDD!"

The roar of the crowd was deafening as Red marched deliberately onto the field, seemingly ignoring the crowds as before. Unlike his previous match, however, this time, he was not joined by Athena, but only by Pikachu, who stood perched on his shoulder.

Tajiri and Red walked to the middle of the field. Instead of the usual handshake, however, Tajiri greeted his opponent with a bow, which Red returned after a moment.

"Ganbatte kudasai, Red-san," the Karate Master said, grasping the hooded Trainers forearm. "Good luck."

"To you as well," Red replied with a grin. "I hope you can offer me a challenge."

"THIS MATCH WILL BE A SINGLE BATTLE, THREE-ON-THREE!" The referee yelled as the Trainers returned to their respective platforms. "TRAINERS, CHOOSE YOUR POKÉMON!"

Tajiri reacted first, hurling a Pokéball onto the battlefield. "Watashi ni shōri o motarasu (bring me victory), Hitmonlee!" In a flash of red light, the Kick Pokémon appeared on the field, jumping back and forth on its toes.

Red reached for his own Pokéball. "Bring the rain, Eve!" The Bubble Jet Pokémon appeared in a flash, and both Trainers looked to the referee.

"THERE WILL BE NO TIME LIMIT AND NO SUBSTITUTIONS! THE FIELD TYPE WILL BE ROCK!" At the judge's words, the battlefield shifted, rocks and boulders rising from the ground.

"Oh, right, we're in Terra Stadium," Max facepalmed. "I was really confused for a second there."

May laughed at her brother. "C'mon, Maxy. Pay _some _attention, at least."

"Hey, I pay attention! I knew we were going to Red's battle, didn't I?"

"BOTH TRAINERS AT THE READY! BEGIN!"

Red flung out an arm. "Eve, start this off with Aurora Beam!"

"Dodge, then use Barukuappu (Bulk Up)!"

Eve opened her mouth. A multicolored beam of light shot through the air, speeding towards Hitmonlee. The Fighting Type leapt and twisted in midair, avoiding the attack by mere inches. Hitmonlee straightened up and closed it eyes. A crimson aura surrounded the Kick Pokémon, and it flexed.

Hitmonlee's muscles became larger, more defined. The Fighting Type opened its eyes and dropped into a low stance. _"Hit monlee."_

"Eve, Rock Smash!"

The Eeveelution's eyes flashed white. Eve blurred, racing towards a huge boulder. Her entire body became outlined in white as she jumped and flipped in midair, striking the boulder with the flat of her tail.

The boulder shattered, sending large chunks of the stone flying in all directions. Eve disappeared, blurring into existence near one of the masses of rock. She struck the stone headfirst, sending it flying towards Hitmonlee. She did this several more times, blurring and reappearing near huge chunks of earth and head-butting it towards the Fighting Type.

"Lee, use Mawashigeri (Rolling Kick) to deflect the stones!"

Hitmonlee swung into action, spinning into a kick that turned the first rock to dust. From there, it leapt to the side, twisting into an inhuman flurry of kicks, legs extending to nearly a quarter of the battlefield. Nonetheless, several rocks managed to slip past its defense, colliding with the Kick Pokémon's abdomen and sending it sprawling to the ground.

"Lee! Megakikku (Mega Kick)!"

A tick mark appeared on the Fighting Type's forehead. Leaping to its feet, Hitmonlee raced towards Eve and leapt into the air, leg uncoiling and glowing a metallic blue.

"Hold!"

Eve waited, allowing Hitmonlee's attack to get closer… closer…

"Ice Fang!"

Eve dove under the kick, rolled once, and leapt to her feet again. Her mouth opened wide as she raced towards Hitmonlee, the inside of her mouth glowing a pale blue. With a shout, she bit down hard on Hitmonlee's abdomen.

The Kick Pokémon screamed in pain as Eve's cold-infused fangs bore into it. Chomping down even harder, Eve let go, backflipping off Hitmonlee and landing gracefully on all fours.

"Scald!"

_"Vaporeon!" _A stream of boiling hot water shot out of Eve's mouth. Steam hissed as it struck the Fighting Type, who was forced back under the intense pressure of the water flow.

The steam cleared, revealing Hitmonlee, lying passed out on the rocky stadium floor.

"HITMONLEE IS UNABLE TO BATTLE! BOTH TRAINERS RECALL YOUR POKÉMON!"

Tajiri raised a Pokéball. "Yoku yatta (Well done), Hitmonlee, my friend. Recover your strength."

"BOTH TRAINERS WILL SELECT THEIR NEXT POKÉMON!"

"You may have beaten Hitmonlee, but not my next Pokémon! Sorera o anata no tsuyo-sa o shimesu (Show them your strength), Poliwrath!" Tajiri cried, releasing his second Pokémon. The Water/Fighting Type appeared on the arena, eyeing Red with what seemed like hunger.

Red laughed. "That was a mistake on your part," he said, pointing dramatically onto the battlefield. "Pikachu! I choose you!" The Electric Mouse raced down his arm, leaping onto the stadium floor. His cheeks sparked with electricity, a determined look on his face.

Misty tensed in the Gym Leader's box. _Ash. _

Flannery, noticing her discomfort, turned to the Water Type Gym Leader. "Something wrong, Misty?"

"Oh, it's nothing. Red just… reminded me of Ash just then."

"Oh." Flannery glanced around the box before placing a hand on Misty's shoulder. "It'll be alright, Misty. We'll find him."

The redhead sucked in a breath and rubbed her eyes. "Right, right. I'll be fine. Let's just… Let's just watch the match, okay?"

"BOTH TRAINERS AT THE READY! BEGIN!"

"Pikachu, Agility, then Iron Tail!"

"Wait until he's close, then Rōkikku (Low Sweep)!"

Pikachu ran forwards, leaping from side to side as though dodging invisible projectiles. As his speed increased, he began to blur, appearing and reappearing in different spots until all anyone could make out was a yellow blur. Pikachu's tail glowed silver as he flew towards Poliwrath.

The Tadpole Pokémon crouched down. At the last moment, he kicked out, sweeping Pikachu's legs out from under him. The two Pokémon collided, sending both flying into a nearby boulder.

"Poliwrath, Iwa no Haka (Rock Tomb)!"

The Water/Fighting Type leapt to its feet, fist glowing a bright white. _"Poli WRATH!" _It cried, leaping high into the air and slamming its fist down on the rocky earth. Stone walls rose up around Pikachu, trapping him underneath the rock.

"Pikachu! Break free with Electro Ball!"

For a moment nothing happened. Then, a cracking sound resonated throughout the stadium. The rocks splintered and exploded outwards, and Pikachu jumped out of the earthen prison, electricity arcing off the tip of its tail.

"Pikachu, let's finish this. Overcurrent!"

Pikachu seemed to grin. His cheeks crackled with electric charge as the Electric Mouse hunched over. Storm clouds gathered overhead, and an enormous bolt of lightning shot down from the heavens, enveloping the tiny Electric Type.

_"Pi… Ka… CHUU!" _Pikachu cried, throwing its head back. The lightning bolt redirected itself, arcing towards Poliwrath in less than an instant. Poliwrath didn't even have time to register the pain before it was unconscious.

The storm clouds slowly dissipated, and Pikachu walked back to Red, who picked him up and ran a hand through Pikachu's fur before placing him back on his shoulder.

"POLIWRATH IS UNABLE TO BATTLE! TRAINERS, SELECT YOUR FINAL POKÉMON!" The referee yelled, remembering his job.

"Modosu (Return), Poliwrath. You did well." Kiyo Tajiri eyed Red. "I have already lost. You have proven yourself an incredible Trainer. I cannot hope to defeat you." He bowed, expanding his final Pokéball. "But we will fight to the last breath! Meiyo to tatakau (Fight with honor), Lucario!"

In a flash of brilliant blue light, the Aura Pokémon appeared on one knee, eyes closed.

Red grinned. "Athena will be mad she missed this," he said under his breath, unclipping his final Pokéball. "Ah well. Ignite the fires, Soul!" With that, he hurled the sphere into the air, where it exploded in a burst of light.

The light faded, and Misty gazed upon the most beautiful Pokémon she'd ever seen.

Soul's silver fur gleamed in the afternoon sun. Each of her nine tails was tipped with deep sky blue. Her ruby eyes flashed, glowing with determination and spirit. Her entire body seemed to glow with a cerulean aura.

"BOTH TRAINERS AT THE READY! BEGIN!"

"Kōun (Extremespeed)!"

"Fire Spin!"

Lucario blurred, sprinting towards Soul. A clear aura surrounded the Fighting/Steel type as it raced forwards.

Soul opened her mouth, exhaling a spiral of red-orange flame that curled around Lucario. To the Aura Pokémon's credit, it barely reacted as the attack struck, running into the super-effective attack and straight through the fiery vortex. Eyes still closed, Lucario reappeared right in front of the Fox Pokémon, assaulting the shiny with a barrage of knifehands, palm strikes, and hammerfists.

"Flamethrower!"

"Dodge!"

Soul's eyes flashed white, and a stream of orange fire erupted from her mouth, enveloping the Lucario. The Aura Pokémon cried out as the scorching flames blackened its fur and forced it away from Soul, who bared her teeth in a predatory grin.

"Ōra-kyū (Aura Sphere)!" Tajiri cried.

"Dodge, then Will-O-The-Wisp!" Red countered.

Lucario backflipped away from Soul and pressed its hands together. Crouching, a ball of charged Aura appeared in its hands, increasing to nearly a foot and a half in diameter. The black appendages on Lucario's head flared, its eyes flashed open, and it released the attack, roaring intelligibly.

A ball of blue flame charging it her mouth, Soul raced forwards and leapt nimbly over the attack. Crying her name, she released the wisp, which honed in on the Aura Pokémon and wrapped itself around it. The flame burned cold into Lucario's flesh; it cried out in pain, nearly collapsing to the floor.

"Iyashi ōra (Healing Aura)." Tajiri commanded, a small smile playing on his lips. Red's eyes widened slightly.

Lucario tensed, closing its eyes once again. A dark blue aura outlined the Pokémon, wisps of sapphire energy seeping into the singed flesh and darkened fur. The wounds glowed bright blue and sealed, the burns cooled and fur reformed over the afflicted areas.

"Impressive, Master Tajiri," Red began, "but not good enough. Soul! Curse of the Shadow Fox!"

Soul threw back her head and howled, a low, mournful sound that resonated through the arena. Her eyes shone a bright crimson, and her body glowed with a fiery aura.

Soul's tails glowed, and flames danced along the tips of each of the nine. Suddenly, her entire body seemed to ignite, flames surrounding her silvery fur. The fire grew higher and higher, enveloping Soul in the mighty conflagration. Higher still they grew, burning and hissing. The flames moved, twisting and writhing against themselves like Sevipers in a pit. A fox rose from the flames, roaring in what sounded like a mixture of rage – and pain.

"Behold, the Shadow Fox," Red announced solemnly to the shell-shocked crowd. "You know of the Orre region. Some of you may know of Team Cipher and their failed attempts to use Shadow Pokémon to take over the world. Shadow Pokémon are Pokémon whose emotions – and indeed, their very spirit – have been removed, turning them into soulless fighting machines. The door to their hearts have been sealed shut, whether through betrayal, pain, or other, darker, means.

"Soul here was once a Shadow. Her heart has since been reopened, but a portion of her remains locked away. This is that part. Her inner demon. This is the product of her heart's closing. This is the Curse of the Shadow." As he spoke, the flames twisted and darkened, burning black and purple as Soul's Shadow form was unleashed.

"Finish this."

Soul growled deep in her throat and charged forward towards the unmoving Lucario. The Aura Pokémon stood, dazed, as the shiny Fox approached.

"Lucario! Get out of there!"

But it was too late. Tendrils of flame erupted from Soul's mouth, encircling the Fighting/Steel Type in rings of purple fire. The burning apparition that was Soul's Shadow form collided headfirst with Lucario, knocking it back nearly a dozen feet. Her tails lashed forwards, and whips of dark flames dug into the Aura Pokémon.

Soul reared back, a huge fireball charging on her lips. The blazing fox charged forwards as Soul launched the final attack – a roaring inferno that formed the Kanji _Dai __大_.The attacks struck simultaneously, combining and exploding into a fireball that could be felt even in the highest row of the stands.

Slowly, surely, the smoke and dust kicked up by the massive explosion settled, and everyone could see once again. They saw a huge crater, fifteen feet wide and nearly five feet deep, glassed over under the intense heat. In the very center lay Lucario, fur blackened, and body limp.

It was Tajiri that finally broke the silence, returning his Pokémon and bowing to Red. "Thank you, Red-sama. I will remember this battle forever." Wordlessly, he turned and walked away.

The referee finally raised his flag. "LU…LUCARIO IS UNABLE TO BATTLE! THE WINNER OF THIS BATTLE IS RED!"

Red raised a hand to the audience, who exploded into deafening roars of approval and applause, searching the stands for his friends. Seeing Max and Brock wave to him, he smiled, returned Soul to her Pokéball, and walked off the battlefield.

* * *

"Pryce. I need to talk to you."

The Mahogany Gym Leader glanced up from the battlefield. "Eh? Oh, Misty. What can I do for you?"

"Can I speak to you in private?"

Raising an eyebrow, but otherwise not questioning her, the Ice Type Leader nodded, slowly standing from his seat. "Sure." Stealing one last look at the arena, he followed Misty outside the Leader's Box to a quiet – well, quieter – part of the stadium. "What's this about?" he asked.

"Red."

Pryce looked at her questioningly. "What about him?"

"What do you know about the Underground Gym that used to be in Mahogany?"

The old man's mouth quirked. "You know I don't like talking about this."

"Please, Pryce. It's important."

He sighed. "Fine. As you know, there was an Underground Gym in the outskirts of Mahogany about five years ago. Technically, it was closer to the Lake of Rage than it was to _my _city, but what does that matter?" he mused. "Nope, all anyone cares about is that there was an Underground near Mahogany, near ol' Pryce. You know the League nearly shut me down after that?"

"Pryce."

"Yeah, yeah. Have some patience. So there was an Underground Gym. What does this have to do with this Red person?"

Misty sighed. _I knew talking to Pryce was a bad idea. Shoulda just asked Lance. _"What happened to it?"

"What do you think happened to it? We took it out, tore the whole place down."

"Who's 'we'?"

"Me an' the Mahogany PD, of course. Who else?"

"Are you sure it was you? And the cops, I mean. You sure there wasn't anyone else?"

"Celebi, woman, what're you getting at? Are you trying to accuse me of something?" Pryce crossed his arms, offended.

"Of course not!" Misty cried, exasperated. "Look. My friends and I met Red earlier today and he told us he got his Lucario after raiding the Underground at Mahogany. His Lucario backed up the story. She was nearly crying. So either Red and his Pokémon are really pulling our legs, or you're not telling me something." She stared hard at the Ice Type Gym Leader, daring him to lie.

Pryce maintained eye contact for a few moments before sighing and looking down at the floor. "Okay," he said, holding up his hands in mock surrender, "you got me. I didn't raid the Underground."

"So Red did?"

"Apparently. Listen. Here's what I know: Officer Jenny got a call in the middle of the night, a tip for an Underground gathering place near Lake of Rage. She followed protocol, called me and organized a team to go in and take 'em out. We had an R-K-9 squad and everything. Only problem was, when we got there, we found the door wide open – not to mention a huge hole in the wall – and twenty or so Underground Trainers, all knocked out. Almost no Pokémon whatsoever. They'd all escaped. Jenny and I figured the Pokémon had rebelled and broken free. End of story. I'd never heard of Red before this Tournament."

Misty held her gaze a moment longer. "Thanks, Pryce."

The elderly Gym Leader looked away. "Don't mention it," he said gruffly, watching Misty walk away.

* * *

Max was toying with Grace's Pokéball, tossing it up and down as he waited outside the doors of Terra Stadium for Misty to show up. May and Dawn were elsewhere, doing whatever it was Coordinators did in their spare time – shopping, most likely. "Brock, have you ever seen a Shadow Pokémon?" he asked, looking up at the ex-Gym Leader.

Brock shook his head. "No. I'd heard about them, but I've never actually seen one."

"They don't look all that different from normal Pokémon," said a voice behind them. Red chuckled underneath his hood as the Max and Brock jumped and whirled around. "But there are ways of detecting the Shadows."

"Like what?"

"Well, there is a device called the Aura Reader that can identify whether or not a Pokémon is a Shadow. Alternatively, one sufficient enough in the use of Aura – such as a Lucario or an Aura User – can read a Pokémon's Aura and tell if the door to their heart is open or not."

"Aura Users?" Max raised an eyebrow. "You mean like Riley and Sir Aaron?"

Red paused, scratching Pikachu on the forehead. "Not exactly. Riley is an Aura Guardian, as was the Sir Aaron of legend. An Aura User is merely anyone with the ability to use Aura – not necessarily for good."

"Hey guys, sorry for taking so long. Pryce wouldn't say anything 'till I told him about Athe-" Misty froze as she realized Red was not two feet in front of her. "Oh. Hey, Red…"

"You didn't believe me." It wasn't a question so much as a statement. Red's voice seemed hurt, but the patronizing grin on his face told another story. "Who hurt you so bad you forgot how to trust?"

Misty sweatdropped, rubbing the back of her head awkwardly. "S-sorry, Red. I just -"

She was interrupted by Red waving a hand dismissively. "Don't mention it. I probably wouldn't believe me either."

_"Pikachu…" _Pikachu added, eliciting a laugh from Red.

"Of course," he said, smiling bemusedly at the Electric Mouse. "Say, where's Dawn and May?"

Max's mouth quirked at the mention of his older sibling. "Oh, them. They're probably out shopping somewhere. We won't see them until sometime tonight."

Red nodded, accepting the answer. Casually, his hand went down to his belt and he unclipped Soul and Eve's Pokéballs. Expanding the spheres, the hooded Trainer glanced up at the confused group. "Oh, sorry. You all don't mind if I let Soul and Eve out, do you? They _hate _being cooped up in their balls."

"No, go ahead," Brock said, and Red tapped the release buttons, nodding his thanks to the Pewter City native. In a flash, the two Pokémon appeared. Eve let out a sigh of relief, stretching out her muscles. Soul shrank back from Max, Misty, and Brock at first, a growl forming in her throat, but after a gesture from Red she calmed.

"Soul, meet Max, Brock, and Misty," Red said with a grin. The shiny Fire Type dipped her head to the three before turning and running off with Eve. "Thanks for that. They get mad if I have them in there for too long."

"How come?" Max asked, taking his eyes off the shiny Ninetales to glance questioningly at Red. "What's wrong with Pokéballs?"

"Nothing's _wrong _with them. It's just my friends don't like being… confined. I only use Pokéballs if I have to, and even then I try to make it as short as possible. My Pokémon are more comfortable that way, when they're happy, I'm happy."

Brock nodded. "That actually makes a lot of sense. Pokémon's life spans almost always increase in captivity, and especially so if their Trainer is a good, caring person that really loves his or her Pokémon."

"I try to be the best Trainer I can be," Red replied solemnly. "Arceus knows these guys deserve it. My team has been through some serious stuff, and if I can do anything to help them, I will."

Misty smiled. "Not a lot of people think like that," she said. "I'm glad there are Trainers like you out there, Red." Was it her imagination, or did Red blush under her praise? She blinked, but the moment had passed, and Red's face was unreadable.

"I… uh, I should probably head back to camp," Red hesitated. "I need to check on the others. See you guys tomorrow?" The group nodded, and Red turned on his heel, motioned for his Pokémon to follow, and disappeared into the forests surrounding the League Village.

* * *

_-That Night-_

Ash sighed as he looked up at the night sky. Absentmindedly, his eyes traced over the constellations, finding the Guardian, the Skorupi, Teddiursa and Ursaring. He rolled over, facing the stream that ran through the clearing and listened to its soft lullabies.

He couldn't sleep. He'd tried to just close his eyes and relax, but his mind didn't seem to get the message. He'd tried finding a more comfortable position, but nothing seemed right, which was odd, because he'd been sleeping on the ground like this almost as long as he'd been sleeping on actual beds. He'd even gone so far as to try counting Mareep, but he'd only made it to thirty-seven before he'd abandoned that attempt.

He glanced at the campsite around him. Jessie and James were cuddled up near the dying embers of the fire; Persian was sleeping nearby. His Pokémon were resting in various places throughout the clearing – Eve by the river, Athena propped up against a tree, and so on. Even Pikachu was asleep, lying comfortably in a clump of soft grass next to Ash's sleeping bag. _Probably dreaming of ketchup, _Ash thought with a grin.

He sighed again, sitting up slowly so as not to disturb the others. He quietly slid his backpack over and unzipped it, flinching at the noise. He idly rummaged through the contents – A change of clothes, some water bottles containing the red liquid he'd revived Golduck with earlier that day, two spare Pokéballs, a small (and almost entirely unused) first-aid kit, some clean underwear – not searching for anything in particular. He was about to push the pack away and try to fall asleep again when his hand brushed against something deep inside. It was smooth, with an odd shape. Confused, he withdrew his hand, letting the dull light from the moon illuminate the object.

A small figure winked back at him, and Ash gasped out loud. Pikachu's ear twitched, and the Electric Mouse rolled over in its sleep. Ash ignored this, focusing on the object in his hand.

Misty's Lure.

Just like that, he was ten years old again. He was in the Safari Zone with Misty and Brock, fishing for rare Pokémon after that creep with the guns told them only Safari Balls and fishing rods were allowed – emphasizing the point by pressing the gun's barrel directly against Ash's head.

He was in the Orange Islands – Kinnow Island to be exact – a few months later, listening to Misty and that one girl – Marina? – talk about lures and Golducks and Water Pokémon. The Golduck in question had been mistakenly claimed as Misty's, and was, in fact, wild. Ash still remembered Misty's face when she realized the truth, and he chuckled softly to himself.

He was in Hoenn, nearly a year later. He'd just lost to Brandon, and was pretty upset about it. Professor Oak had shown up and given him enough gifts to make a Delibird jealous – including the Lure. The Lure had cheered him up, reminding him of his best friend, and he'd sworn he would work harder and beat the Battle Pyramid. And he had.

He was in Sinnoh, now. He and Dawn were fishing, and Ash had brought out the Lure. Dawn had asked to borrow it, but he'd refused. It was his Lure. It was a gift from Misty. It was special. He'd nearly had a heart attack when Buizel had appeared and stolen their rods – Misty's Lure still attached.

Ash sighed, stroking the likeness of Misty with a single finger. Those were the days. He'd been so intent on becoming the world's best Trainer – like no one had ever been before. It was a dream he still longed for, a dream that had convinced him to go out alone, with no one but Pikachu by his side. Smiling, he held the Lure tight in his palm as he lay back down. The ground didn't seem so uncomfortable anymore. His breathing became deeper, more even. He heard a jet fly overhead, but even that wasn't enough to stop him from falling asleep. A small smile adorned his now-slumbering form as he slept, dreaming of the day when no one would question him, when he would be renowned as the best Trainer throughout the world. When he was a Master.

When he was the True Champion.

**_Wheew! I'm Back with the longest chapter I've ever written ever!_**

**_Lemme say this before I say anything else: Kiyo Tajiri was inspired by my fellow writer CracktheSkye's freakin' epic story Indomitable Spirit. Go read that, like right now. I apologize to anyone who actually speaks Japanese, because I used Google Translate, and who knows how accurate that thing is._**

**_Anyways, what do you all think of these long chapters? Gusta or no? _**

**_GIVE ME YOUR FEEDBACK!_**

**_See you next time,_**

**_-Wolverinejoe_**


	7. Lessons To Learn

_-Indigo Plateau-_

The jet was midnight black and undetectable by radar. It was a Pidgeot DC-8 body outfitted with a Eucalyptus BW 649/650 engine, one of the most efficient – and quietest – turbofan engines available. It could hold twenty-five passengers and could make the flight from Mistralton to Vermillion in less than four hours.

There were twenty of them, each wearing black, form-fitting outfits that made them seem like living shadows that had abandoned their own bodies. They checked and rechecked the parachutes strapped to their backs, tightening and adjusting the straps as they soared closer to their destination.

The group's informal leader – a thin, wiry man who went by the codename 'Delta' – spoke into a small headset, "We're ready, sir."

"Good. Remember, this is a discreet operation. There can be no witnesses, no casualties. Not yet."

"Understood."

"Let me know when you are all in position."

"Yes sir."

Delta stood, walking up the aisle to the cockpit. "One minute to drop," he informed the pilot, who nodded, flipping a switch. A light blinked green as the jet's door opened, revealing the swirling black mass of night that lay outside the airplane. Far below, the lights of the League Village shone, barely visible under the dark cloak that pressed down upon it.

The twenty made the final adjustments to their packs and stood, forming a line at the open door. Delta took the lead, raising a fist and closing his eyes, taking a deep breath of cold night air. He opened his eyes and smiled.

His fist opened, and he leapt out of the jet and into the darkness.

The wind whistled in his ears as he plummeted, falling silently towards the Plateau. He knew that the other nineteen were right behind him, well, _above _him, rather, but he could hear or see nothing. For this moment, as he fell at near-terminal velocity towards the Pokémon League Village, he was alone.

He waited for exactly two and a half minutes before pulling the cord. He winced as the parachute yanked back on his shoulders, the black nylon material unfurling and slowing his descent. He grabbed the pull handles and steered himself towards the unlit rooftop of the Pokémon Center.

Landing gently on the darkened rooftop, Delta quickly slipped the parachute off his back and pulled in the black nylon, waiting for the others. One by one they arrived, discarding their packs until all twenty stood atop the Center.

Delta spoke. "We're in position. Waiting to receive objectives."

Another voice came on through his earpiece – not the cold, calm of Giovanni, but the mellifluous and factual voice of Admin Sahara. "We're sending you the targets now. They should be coming up on your C-Gear."

The watch-like device on Delta's arm beeped quietly as the information was transferred. Likewise, the other nineteen checked their C-Gears as well, receiving their objectives.

"Right. Everyone have their targets?" The nineteen nodded. "Good. Incapacitate and get the codes before reporting back. Remember, this is a nonlethal operation. For now."

The others nodded again. Delta turned his attention to his C-Gear, where the image of a thin, wiry man filled his screen. _'Alan Lockman'_, the screen read, glowing softly in the darkness.

"Embrace Hotel," Delta murmured to himself as he watched the nineteen disappear into the night until only he remained atop the Pokémon Center. "Right. Let's get started." He turned, sprinting at full speed towards the roof's edge. At the last moment, he jumped, launching himself onto the next rooftop. He landed and kept running, not stopping for even a moment. Again he raced towards the edge, and again he leapt forward. He dropped into a roll as he made contact with the low-lying roof, but otherwise kept going. The next rooftop was two stories above him. Undeterred, Delta ran forward, planting a foot on the solid brick wall and jumping up off it, grabbing the roof with just the tips of his fingers. He hauled himself up onto the roof proper and continued running, jumping from rooftop to rooftop as he made his way through the city without so much as pausing for breath. Once or twice he saw a police officer patrolling the streets below, but no one bothered to look up and see the shadow-like figure that raced atop the buildings as though the jaws of Houndooms snapped at his heels.

He pulled himself up a final roof and paused, analyzing the city. The Embrace Hotel stood proud before him, an impressive-looking building that reached up several stories. A tall statue of a Gardevoir - the Embrace Pokémon for which the Hotel was named – overlooked the streets, hands raised to the sky as though dancing. Security guards in handsome suits resembling Gallades stood watch at the door.

Delta crouched near the rooftop's corner and tapped his C-Gear. The device blinked to life again, updating to show a detailed layout of the Hotel. "Let's see here," he mused, scrolling through the surplus of data Sahara had loaded into his C-Gear. "Lockman's in room… Six-twelve… 612…" He gazed up at the Hotel once again, counting up six stories and looking at the readout again. "612 is… fourth from the left side facing the entrance… alright…" He counted over four, zeroing in on his target room. The curtains were drawn and the windows were dark, indicating that Lockman was either absent or asleep.

Nodding towards Lockman's room so he would remember its location, Delta began racing along the rooftops once more, hurdling from building to building until he was adjacent the Hotel. He was eight stories up, facing the west side of the building. His target was twenty feet below him and around the building's edge. To reach Alan Lockman, Delta would either have to infiltrate another tenant's room and find his way to Lockman, or skirt the Hotel itself and drop two entire floors onto Lockman's balcony. One false move, and he would plummet nearly eighty feet to his inevitable doom.

Delta loved a challenge.

Cracking his neck, he backed up several feet and focused on the balcony opposite him. He took a deep breath of cold night air and held it. Suddenly he raced forwards, feet pounding along the concrete roof, getting closer and closer to the edge. He reached the edge, planted his left foot solidly on the cement, and launched himself into space.

He had performed the jump flawlessly. His feet pressed against the metal bars of the balcony at the exact moment that his hands reached up to grab it. Delta pulled himself over the railing and studied the walls of the Hotel. The smallest of ledges – only a few inches wide – ran the length of the wall, and Delta assumed continued along the other side.

It would have to.

Delta climbed over the railing again, pressing his back into the wall. His tips of his feet hung unsupported in thin air. Slowly, he released his hold on the balcony rail and eased himself sideways. Taking tiny steps, he inched along the edge of the building, slowly approaching the corner.

Mew, it seemed, had smiled on Delta that night, for the ledge he inched himself along indeed continued down the other side of the Hotel. Delta dared to look down as he slowly turned the corner, thanking the Legendaries for his stroke of luck. Far below, the guards stood, completely and totally unaware of the Rocket's presence above them.

Delta inched a few feet further and grabbed the rail of the balcony. He pulled himself over once again and found his target once again, four rooms away and two down.

"You made it this far," Delta told himself, studying the distance between the balconies separating him from Lockman.

His C-Gear buzzed softly. _"This is Epsilon, reporting in. I'm in location."_ Not a moment later, Sigma called in his position as well.

Delta mentally slapped himself. He should be ready by now! It should be him waiting on the others! Eyes narrowing, he jumped onto the metal railing and leapt, downward rather than straight across. He fell, barely landing on the balcony for room 710. The lights were on in this room. Delta spared a moment to peer into the window. Inside, a young Trainer – perhaps sixteen or so – played with a small Bonsly. The Bonsai Pokémon's eyes widened when it saw Delta lurking outside the door, and started crying.

Delta grinned evilly in the dark and prepared to jump again. He dove into the night, falling onto room 611's balcony without a noise. Again he jumped, landing perfectly onto the balcony as though he had performed the feat millions of times. He tapped the C-Gear. "This is Delta. I'm in position. You listening, sir?"

Giovanni's voice flowed through the tiny machine's speakers. "Always, Delta. You may begin."

Delta smiled. Slowly, cautiously, he gripped the sliding door to room 612 and slipped it open. The room was dark, but he could nonetheless see Alan Lockman's sleeping form in the bed. A laptop lay closed on the nightstand.

Delta grabbed a syringe from a hidden pocket in his jacket. He twirled it around his fingers as he approached the inert figure. The syringe was filled with a sleeping agent produced from a Butterfree's Sleep Powder mixed with Parasect's Spore. It rendered the victim totally unconscious, and they would stay that way for a good eight hours, which was more than enough time for Delta.

Delta stabbed Lockman's forearm and pressed down on the syringe, watching with disinterest as the purple liquid seeped into his latter's veins. When the last of the liquid had been injected into him, Delta pocketed the syringe and snatched the laptop. Cracking it open, he produced a Pokéball from his belt. Expanding it and tapping the release button, Delta watched as the midnight black sphere silently released a beam of soft maroon light, which coalesced into the polyhedral, pink and blue shape that floated silently in midair.

"Porygon, I need to find the codes to Indigo Stadium. Do your thing."

The Virtual Pokémon nodded, floating towards the open laptop. It briefly flashed white, before flattening and disappearing into the computer. Lines of code cascaded down the screen as the artificial Pokémon hacked into the computer and located the information. The laptop _dinged! _and Porygon reappeared. The computer blinked, and letters and numerals flashed onscreen.

Delta returned Porygon, "Good job, buddy," and spoke into his C-Gear. "Boss. I've got it. Indigo Stadium's security code is as follows: Celebi, Nine, Sableye, Zubat, Eight, Four. Got that?"

Sahara responded. "Got that, Delta. C9SZ84. Good work. Alpha, Psi, Omega, and Xi are the only ones that have yet to acquire their codes. Make that just Alpha and Xi."

Giovanni chuckled. "Well done, team. We now have the access codes to all stadiums in Indigo Plateau. Mission accomplished."

* * *

_-The Next Day-_

When Ash woke, the sun was already far above the horizon, shining its warm rays on the cool Plateau. His brow furrowed. He should have woken long ago. At the very least Athena or Pikachu should have woken him when they had gotten up. He shrugged and sat up. He made to rub his eyes, and a small object fell from his open hand into his lap. The Lure.

Instinctively, Ash snatched the Lure and shoved it into his pocket, catching the attention of Eve, who was resting nearby, keeping a half-open eye on her Trainer. _"Eon!" _she cried, spraying Ash with a fine mist of water.

Ash grinned and stood. "Morning, Eve." He surveyed the clearing. Pikachu and Soul were playing, roughhousing near the river. Athena watched from atop her perch on the boulder, chuckling at the two Pokémon. Jessie, James, and Persian had vanished, presumably headed down to the League Village for breakfast.

"Where's Spectre?" Ash asked, referring to his final Pokémon. Eve shrugged, glancing around the clearing as well.

Suddenly, an ear-splitting roar echoed through the clearing, and a huge shadow appeared, blocking out the very sun. Pikachu and Soul paused their sparring and watched as a gigantic blue Pokémon lowered itself to the ground, landing with enough force to shake the clearing. The Pokémon's crimson wings spread out once more before closing, folding themselves along the hardened cerulean scales.

Ash smiled and reached up to stoke the dragon's head. "Morning, Spectre. We were wondering where you were."

_"Mance! Man Sal Salamence!" _the Salamence replied.

"Really? All the way to Route 28? How long have you been gone?"

**A few hours, **Athena replied, hopping down from the boulder. **He left just before sunrise.**

Ash nodded, noting the subtle emphasis the Aura Pokémon placed on the word _hours. _"I see. Well, technically speaking, I didn't, but you all get the idea. But on to business. Have any of you begun your training yet?"

No one said anything, apparently finding the ground incredibly interesting. Ash sighed. "Really? Not even you, Pikachu?"

The Electric Mouse shrugged. _"Chu pi pika, Pikapi." _

"Just because I happen to sleep in doesn't mean we get the day off, guys," he replied, rolling his eyes. "Have you forgotten we're in the middle of a Tournament?"

Athena sniffed. **Right, because everyone we've faced this far has been such a challenge. **The other Pokémon nodded their agreement. Their previous matches _had _been rather, well, lacking.

Ash put a hand to his chin. "Well, if that's how you all feel…" he mused, trailing off as he produced a black headband, which he wrapped around his eyes. Stripping off his heavy cloak and tossing it to the side, where it landed near his backpack, Ash turned back to his Pokémon. He raised a hand, and a sphere of energy appeared. "Free-For-All!" he announced to the now-excited Pokémon, firing the attack at Pikachu.

Pikachu leapt into action, diving to avoid the ball of Aura, electricity sparking off his cheeks. The Electric Type raced forward, tail toughening as it shone a dull silver. He ran for Soul, leaping into the air and flipping around, swinging his hardened tail at the firefox's head.

But the Fire Type was gone, itself racing towards Spectre, fire streaming from her mouth. The Dragon Pokémon roared and took to the skies once again, roaring savagely as he flew skyward, hovering just above the fray.

Ash charged Eve, his foot glowing a deep violet. He kicked out, but the Eeveelution danced around the attack easily, knocking Ash's other leg out from under him before shooting a jet of water towards Soul.

Soul growled as the super-effective attack landed, whirling around to face the Vaporeon. She let loose a sphere of flame that struck Eve along the side. The attack burst outwards as it connected, enveloping the Water Type in a swirling ball of fire. Eve yelped as her sleek fur caught fire, racing towards the river. The Eeveelution leapt into the stream and vanished, the very molecules of her body rearranging themselves to melt into the clear water without as much as a ripple.

Athena raced onto the boulder and charged an Aura Sphere, aiming for Spectre. The Dragon Type flapped its wings hard, gaining just enough altitude to dodge the ball of energy before releasing a green line of flame towards the Aura Pokémon. The Fighting/Steel Type leapt off the rock, barely dodging the Dragonbreath.

A bolt of electricity arced towards Athena. Pikachu grinned, calling out his name victoriously as the attack struck. The Electric Mouse set his eyes on Soul and raced forwards, cheeks sparking dangerously. The Pokémon seemed to fade to black and white as electricity engulfed his body, repeating the first syllable of his name over and over as he sprinted towards the Fox Pokémon.

Eve appeared from the river and fired a spout of water at Spectre. When the attack struck, a cracking noise resonated throughout the clearing and the water froze, turning to ice. Spectre cried out, his left wing frozen by the beam of ice. The Dragon crashed to the ground, roaring indignantly and charging an orange sphere of energy in his maw.

Athena leapt to her feet, eyes narrowing at Ash. **Master, **she spoke softly, a sly grin on the Aura Pokémon's face.

Ash turned, dispelling the Aura charged in his hands. Athena's hand went to her waist, and from nowhere a glimmering violet blade appeared in her paw. She drew the sword, leveling the blade at Ash, who responded by conjuring his own sword, a dark blue katana that that seemed to draw the light to it. The two Aura Users grinned at each other.

_**En garde.**_

* * *

"Grace, use Magical Leaf!"

Grace's eyes flashed green, and she raised an arm. Sharpened leaves, glowing the same light green, shot forward as she twirled, flying towards a purple, star-shaped Pokémon.

"Starmie! Counter with Rapid Spin!" Misty ordered. The Star Pokémon obeyed, leaping into the attack and spinning in midair. Grace's attack struck the rapidly spinning Starmie and bounced off harmlessly.

Max grit his teeth. "Psychic!" he yelled.

Again Grace's eyes flashed. A pinkish aura surrounded Starmie, and slowly the Pokémon stopped, hovering in midair. Grace grinned, flinging out an arm and psychically hurling Starmie into a tree. The Pokémon hit the trunk and stuck inside, two of its limbs solidly imbedded in the wood.

Misty tried to suppress a laugh at the sight of her Pokémon. "Nice job, Star. Return." She held up a Pokéball, and the Water Type disappeared in the customary flash of light.

"Yeah! Go Grace!" Max cheered, high-fiving the Embrace Pokémon and beaming up at the Cerulean Gym Leader. "Thanks for training with me, Misty!"

"No problem, Max," the redhead said, ruffling Max's olive green hair. "Starmie and Squirtle needed the extra practice."

"So'd Shadow and Grace," Max admitted, albeit somewhat sheepishly. "We haven't exactly been training all that often since the Tournament started."

"Well, you should be." Misty glanced at her Pokégear. "When did you say your match was?"

"Not for a while. One-thirty, I think."

"Well, c'mon anyway. I'm hungry, and I want to –"

Suddenly, a savage roar echoed through the trees, cutting Misty off. A flock of Pidgey took to the skies, fleeing from the sudden noise. The two Trainers stared into the trees. They glanced at each other, and without so much as a word spoken between the two, set off in the direction of the roar.

Misty took the lead, blazing a trail through the dense trees. After five minute's walking, she stopped and tilted her head. She heard the quiet babbling of a river flowing nearby, but nothing else. "Grace," she whispered, glancing at the Psychic that floated a few feet away from Max, "Think you can find whatever that was? Where they are?"

**I can try, **the Embrace Pokémon replied, closing her eyes. After a moment or so, the Gardevoir's eyes opened, and she pointed down the river. **I think they're this way.**

"They?" Max asked.

**Yes. I can detect several psychic signatures, most of which are Pokémon. From what I can tell, there's only one human.**

"Human? Are they in trouble? Is that what that roar was?"

**Umm… The human... I'm not sure. The Pokémon are fighting, though. I'm sure of that.**

Misty and Max glanced at each other. Slowly they crept forward, following Grace's lead. Misty's hand tightened around a Pokéball.

The trees ended, giving way to a large clearing. Another roar split the air, and the earth shook as the huge body of a Salamence crashed to the earth, unable to fly with its left wing frozen solid. A Vaporeon emerged from the river, a smug expression on its face.

"What..?" Max nearly gasped out loud. Misty followed his gaze, and her eyes widened.

In the midst of the clearing, a Lucario and the tall figure of a man circled around each other. The Aura Pokémon clutched a sword of deepest violet in its paw, and the man one that shone dark blue. As Misty, Max, and Grace watched, the two held out their blades in a formal salute. The man held out his sword, as did the Lucario a moment later.

Their blades touched.

The man swung into action, slicing downwards at the Lucario's stomach. The Pokémon sidestepped the blow and countered with a slice of its own, an upwards slash that the man countered with his ethereal blade. The two swords collided in a flair of purple and blue sparks.

The man lunged forwards, but the Pokémon batted the attack away with a flick of its wrist, charging a sphere of pulsating blue in its other hand. The man backed away from the threatening orb of energy, keeping his sword leveled at the Lucario. The Aura Pokémon fired.

Gripping his sword with both hands, the man sliced, a lightning-fast stroke that cut clean through the sphere of aura. The volatile attack detonated in a flash of blue. Misty and Max covered their eyes, instinctively shielding themselves from the brilliant light.

The light faded, and the two Trainers refocused on the battle.

It was Misty's turn to gasp. The man's sword had disappeared, replaced by a floating Aura Sphere, charging in his hands. The Lucario grinned. Opening its palm, the sword vanished, fading from existence as though it were nothing more than a dream. The Aura Pokémon crouched down, hands at its waist. An amethyst sphere formed between its palms, swirling and compacted itself into a tight orb of pure energy.

The man said something. The Lucario nodded.

"Misty…" Max whispered urgently, grabbing the Gym Leader by the shoulder. "That's Red!"

Man and Pokémon launched their attacks, bellowing unintelligibly. The two spheres met in midair and exploded, knocking Max off his feet and back a foot or so. Misty managed to keep her footing by grasping a nearby tree. The two squeezed their eyes shut. If the previous burst of light had been bright, well, this was Zapdos's Flash Cannon performed right in front of their eyes.

Slowly, vision and color returned to the world. Max sat up and rubbed his eyes. Misty blinked a few times, unsure if what she had seen, and what she was seeing now, were real, or a fantastic hallucination, a dream brought on by her subconscious.

Back in the clearing, Red remained upright, as though the attack hadn't affected him at all. Athena rested on one knee, breathing heavily, sweat pouring from her face. Red's remaining Pokémon lay strewn about the clearing; none too severely injured, but all definitely strained by the so-called 'training exercise'.

"Good morning, Max, Misty," Red said suddenly, turning to face the two Trainers. "Come on out."

Exchanging glances, Max and Misty stood, walking slowly into the clearing. "Hey, Red," Misty coughed.

"Thought you could spy on me, eh?" the Aura User said, retrieving his cloak from the ground and pulling it over his dark t-shirt. Misty and Max flushed, mareepishly stammering out apologies, but Red waved their concerns away. "Forget about it." In one swift movement, he untied the black piece of cloth that blindfolded him and pulled up his hood, stuffing the headband into a pocket.

"How…How did you do that?" Misty managed to ask. "With the sword and all…"

"Isn't it obvious?" Max replied, grinning. "Red's an Aura Guardian! Just like…" the Hoenn native trailed off, wincing. "Like Riley. Or Sir Aaron. Yeah," he finished lamely, "that's who I meant."

"I wouldn't say I'm an Aura _Guardian,_ but I'm most certainly a User," Red allowed, producing a small vial of the liquid he'd used to heal Golduck. Walking over to Athena, he helped the Aura Pokémon up and handed her the glass. Athena nodded her thanks and took a swig of the drink. The Fighting/Steel Type straightened as it took effect, healing and recharging her. "Riley is the only Aura Guardian I know of that's alive today, but there are countless people around the world that have the ability to use the Aura," Red continued, walking to Pikachu next, who was lying nearby. "Heck, I'd go so far as to say _anyone _can learn to use Aura, if they really wanted to." He poured a few drops into the Electric Mouse's mouth, and Pikachu perked up, leaping up onto Red's shoulder.

"What is that stuff?" Misty questioned, referring to the bottles Red used to revitalize his Pokémon.

Red glanced up. "Huh? Oh, this stuff? It's a special kind of Potion I use. I make it by mixing Oran, Sitrus, Leppa, and Lum Berries together with Revival Herbs. It revives and reinvigorates them, as well as healing all but the most serious of injuries." He uncorked another vial, pouring half the contents into the Salamence's open maw. The Dragon slowly rose to its feet, flapping its wing experimentally as the ice thawed. It grunted in thanks. It growled when it saw Max and Misty, but stopped when Red waved a hand. "Spectre, meet Max Maple and Misty Waterflower."

The Dragon Pokémon tilted its head, observing the two Trainers. Max waved nervously at the huge behemoth. Misty stared straight into the beast's eyes. She'd had the opportunity to train with Lance himself a few months ago, and had been submitted to the same staredown by Dragonite and Aerodactyl. Dragons, Lance had explained, were prideful creatures. It took a powerful Trainer to catch one, even more so to earn their respect.

Spectre exhaled loudly, covering Misty in its warm breath before turning away.

"He says he likes you," Red said, grinning.

Misty nodded slowly.

Max glanced hopefully up at the hooded Trainer. "Say, Red, do you think you could teach me to do that thing with the sword? I mean, that would be _so _cool…"

Red chuckled and shook his head. "Sorry, Max. I probably couldn't teach you anything."

Max raised an eyebrow. "Why not? You said like two minutes ago that anyone could learn to use Aura. I wanna be able to make an Aura Sphere! I mean, can you imagine the look on Aaron's face when he saw me with a freakin' _glowing sword _and everything-"

Red raised a hand, cutting the olive-haired boy off. "I said anyone could _learn. _I didn't say anyone could be taught."

"What's the difference?"

**The difference, Max Maple, is that the Aura cannot be given. **Athena walked over to the boy, looking him up and down. **What do you know about the Aura? **She questioned.

"Um… well," Max stammered, caught off-guard by the Pokémon's question. "It's energy, right?"

"Technically speaking, you're correct," Red accepted, glancing at Athena. "Aura is a form of spiritual energy found all throughout nature. It is essentially the essence of every living thing. Anything that lives, from the largest Wailord to the smallest acorn, has Aura within it. The Aura flows around and within us, surrounding us and binding us all together. Aura Users are able to tap into this energy, and influence it."

**When I make an Aura Sphere, **Athena continued, holding out a paw. A sphere of blue energy swirled into her open palm. **I am taking the Aura around my paw and condensing it into an attack. I'm not creating Aura; I'm not conjuring up a ball of pretty light. I'm merely using that which is available to me. **She closed her palm, and the orb faded as the Aura dissipated into invisibility. **The same goes for 'that sword thing', or any sort of attack that requires Aura.**

"I can't teach you how to control the Aura," Red explained, "No one can. The most a teacher can do is point their student in the right direction. You must learn for yourself. That is how Athena and I learned, though we helped each other along the way. Grace may be able to help you, if you are serious about wanting to learn."

The Psychic Type looked up, shocked. **What? Me? How?**

** As a Psychic, you have an aptitude for sensing energy already, **Athena explained. **You can tell one living thing from another already, can't you?**

** Well, yes, but that's different. I'm reading their psychic signature, not sensing Aura.**

** Call it what you will. You can still detect the life all around you, the energy in the air, the earth? You can feel it blossoming around you, like a flower seeing the first rays of the sun? You can feel the earth itself, breathing, living, dying?**

** I suppose…**

Red grinned, gesturing for Misty and Max to follow him. "Let's leave them be for a while." He led the two Trainers out of the clearing, following the river.

"What was Athena talking about, feeling the earth?" Max asked.

Red held up a hand. "Hush. Look around you. Listen. Can you not feel it as well? Both of you sit down," he instructed, taking a seat in the soft grass. When they had complied, he continued. "Close your eyes. Tell me what you hear, what you smell, what you feel. Tell me what you see."

"I see the back of my eyelids," Misty said dryly.

"I'm serious. Consider this a first lesson in Aura. Take a deep breath. Meditate on the world around you. Expand your senses outward. What do you see?"

Misty shook her head. _This is ridiculous, _she thought, but did as Red had told her. She took a slow, deep breath.

At first, all she heard was her own breathing, the quiet beat of her heart in her ears. Slowly, though, her sense adjusted. She heard the calm breathing of Red nearby, a quiet rustle in the grass as Max shifted positions. She focused on the quiet murmurings of the river. She listened to the water, ever flowing, down the streams, to the ocean. She heard the clear water tumbling over the rocks. She heard a soft ripple originated from the middle of a widening in the brook, and in her mind's eye could clearly see a baby Poliwag surfacing for air, confused at the sight of the three humans that sat along the water's edge.

_"Poliwag?" _asked a small voice. Misty's eyes snapped open, zeroing in on the sound. There, swimming quietly in the middle of the river, precisely as Misty had imagined it. The Tadpole Pokémon's large, round eyes looked questioningly at the Gym Leader once more before it submerged once again, leaving little more than a ripple.

"Impossible…" she breathed. She turned to see Red's eyes locked on her, a knowing smile on his face. "What… How did…"

Red chuckled softly. "Did you feel it? Could you see? Max, tell me what you saw."

The olive-haired boy's eyes opened wide. "That was incredible!" He said in a hushed voice, not wanting to disrupt the natural beauty that surrounded them. "I focused, like you said! I heard so much! I heard a kind of blink, you know, like when a Pokémon teleports, and I looked, and there was an Abra ten feet away from me! It was so cool!"

"Misty?"

"I heard the river," the Water Type Gym Leader began. "I listened to the water, I heard it on the rocks, heard it flowing down towards Indigo Bay. There was a ripple, and I imagined a Poliwag, coming up for air-"

"And there it was?" Red finished. Misty nodded.

The trio was silent for a minute of two. "Why did we hear different things?" Max wondered aloud, "I mean, we're all in the same spot, shouldn't we hear the same stuff?"

"Excellent question," Red looked up the river, back towards his campsite. "I'll answer it with another. Was Grace your first Pokémon?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Would you say you spend more time with Grace than with the rest of your team?"

"I suppose… I mean, Grace'll stay out of her Pokéball sometimes when we're on the road, keep me company."

"Last question: Are you afraid of the dark? Ghosts? Bugs?"

"Well… I don't like Bug Types that much. A Beedrill stung me once as a kid. Ghost Types creep me out a little. They don't seem natural. It's like they don't belong. Ever been to Mount Pyre? It's a Pokémon cemetery off Route 121. I went there once. It was spooky, man. Ghastlys and Shuppets all over the place… ugh. I'm alright in the dark, though. Shadow helps me out."

Red nodded. "I suspected as much. The reason you saw and heard what you did is because you are more attuned to the Psychic Type than to the others. You've spent more time, and I presume trained more, with Grace than your other Pokémon, and because of this some of her abilities and characteristics have rubbed off on you."

Max's reaction was predictable. "What?"

Red smiled good-naturedly. "I'll try to dumb it down. You know how Pokémon share similar traits to their Trainers? How over time they begin to think and act like one person?"

"Yes," Max said crisply. He didn't like being called dumb, even if it was a joke, "it happens because Pokémon tend to imprint on their Trainers, learning their mannerisms as well as their battle strategies. Believe me; I've had _more _than enough encounters with Pokémon who act like jerks because that's all they've ever known. There was this chick named Lexi who followed me bloody _everywhere _around Hoenn. She was a complete ass to her Pokémon. Treated 'em like crap. And when one of 'em _dared _to disobey her during a fight me and her were having? Abandoned him on the side of the road. She wouldn't even look at the guy. I took him in after that, but he barely trusts anyone but me and Grace."

Red stared at the young Trainer. Max certainly had matured since the last time he'd seen him. "I-"

Max looked away. "Sorry. I didn't mean to explode like that. I just don't like it when people think I'm dumb just 'cause I'm thirteen. I traveled with this guy a long time ago who was only thirteen. He was smarter than most adults. Better at battling, too."

Red winced. In his heart, he wanted to throw back his hood and tell his friends who he really was: their friend and companion, Ash Ketchum. But he couldn't. Not yet. Telling them now would only endanger them. "Sorry, Max." And he was.

Misty coughed, bringing the boys out of their reveries. "So, Red," she began, eager to end the silence, "why _did _Max and I hear what we did?"

Red nodded. "Right. Sorry. I was explaining. Uh… Pokémon share similar traits to their Trainers because they imprint. That's not the word I would use, but, eh, close enough." He cleared his throat. "Have you ever considered that Trainers 'imprint' on their Pokémon?"

"Go on…"

"Well, you could no doubt pick Grace out of a crowd of Gardevoir, right? Misty, you could do the same with Golduck? You 'learn' your Pokémon much in the same way they 'learn' you. You know their limits, they know yours. You help them surpass these limits, teach them new things, strengthen and train them; they do the same to you. You heard that Abra, Max, because that is what Grace would hear. You heard that Poliwag, Misty, because that is what your Pokémon would hear. They instinctively focus on their own element, and you do the same."

Max put a hand to his chin. "So you're saying I'm a Psychic Type."

Red grinned. "Exactly."

"What?" Misty raised an eyebrow at the hooded Trainer. "Max is a _'Psychic Type'_? I'm sorry, but that's a load of Tauros-crap. What does that make me, a Magikarp?"

"I was going to say something along the lines of a Milotic, but if you'd prefer a Magikarp, that's your own opinion."

Misty's eyes widened, and her cheeks reddened. "That…" Her eyes narrowed again, trying – and failing – to pretend she hadn't been flattered. "That doesn't even make sense! I'm no more a 'Water Type' than Max is a Gallade!"

Red shrugged, as though he'd been expecting rebuttal, and held up a finger. "If that's what you truly believe, fine. That's your own opinion. But before you devote yourself to that way of thinking, let me ask you one question: How long can you hold your breath?"

_"What? _What kind of question is that?"

"An inquiring question, I believe," Red responded instantly, glancing at Max for approval. "Or perhaps a questioning one? You haven't answered," he reminded her.

Misty shrugged. "I don't know… ten, eleven minutes? Twelve, maybe?"

"With or without loading up on oxygen beforehand?"

"Without," the Gym Leader responded automatically. "My record's just under twenty minutes."

Max stared. "Twenty… minutes?" he finally managed to say. "That long?"

"And she doesn't believe she's a Water Type," Red chuckled. "Misty, how are you able to do that, do you think?"

"I practice."

"With..?"

"My Pokémon," Misty said finally, slowly beginning to understand. "You mean…"

"Yes. Your Pokémon have 'trained' you as you have trained them. With time, you'll be able to behave more and more like Golduck and Starmie – or a Magikarp," he added as an afterthought. "Alternatively, if you began training with, say, Dark Types, you would begin to develop increased senses in the dark; you'd react quicker, be able to see and hear better. I suspect you'd become something of a Noctowl, and sleep mostly during the say. You'd feel more energized in the dark, you'd – well, you get the idea."

Silence reigned once more, but this wasn't the sad, solemn silence the three had shared before, but the silence when you've discovered something too great for words, so you say nothing at all, basking in the light of your revelation and the knowledge that you, for this moment at least, are not alone.

* * *

_**And scene!**_

_** Damn. I was not expecting this chapter to be so **_**long. **_**Originally, this was only about a third of what I had intended to write for this chapter, but Muse went overboard, and things… escalated. Not that I'm complaining.**_

_** Sorry it's been so long since my last update, but Life, it seems, has been keen to throw lemons at me, with which I am planning to burn down Life's house. Ah, Portal reference. Excuse me, wrong fandom. Anyways. I've had a lot of stuff on my plate: Midterms, Chemistry whipping my butt, having to write a ten-plus page short story for Creative Writing (well, that wasn't that bad, but still), my brother starting Basic Training last weekend (having Thanksgiving a week early is interesting, to say the least. And now my bro's Taking A Lesson in Badass, so when he comes home he'll be able to kill me **_**that **_**much easier)… you get the picture.**_

_** I'll probably work on chapter eight over Thanksgiving Break, so maybe we'll all be pleasantly surprised and I won't take another month to write the next chapter…**_

_** …but I digress. You didn't come here to read about my personal life! You came here to read about Red's personal life! And to REVIEW! **_**AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THE CHAPTER!**

_** I'm so subtle. And clever. And witty. And modest.**_

_** Peace out, readers and writers. See ya next chapter.**_

_** -Wolverinejoe**_


	8. Show Your Steel

_-Saffron Stadium-_

"Yeah! Go Maxy~!"

"May, the battle hasn't even started yet."

"Shut up, Dawn! I'm allowed to cheer for my little brother!"

"You could at least wait for a reason to cheer," the Sinnoh native replied, sticking her tongue out at her fellow Coordinator. "Who's Maxy fighting, anyway?"

"Umm…" May hurriedly scrolled through her Pokégear. "Some chick from Johto. Taylor Adams. Ooh! It says here she's a Trainer in Olivine City's Gym. Looks like she's basically second-in-command under Jasmine."

May's eyes narrowed at the tunnel through which Taylor would appear. "Max beat Jasmine already. He'll be fine, right?"

"Of course! Maxy's got this thing in the bag!"

In the seats adjacent to the two Coordinators, Misty and Brock sighed visibly. This was going to be a _long _match.

"What do you think, Misty?" Brock asked. "How'd your practice with him go?"

Misty shrugged. "The practice was pretty good. Squirtle beat Shadow, but Grace managed to take Starmie. She Psychic'd the thing into a tree. It was pretty funny, actually. Then we ran into Red."

"Really? You saw him _again?"_

"Yep. He and his Pokémon were 'training'" Misty made air quotes around the word 'training', "having a fight to the death, more like. Red and Athena got into this Aura swordfight thing. Oh, yeah. Red's other Pokémon is a Salamence."

Brock stared at the Gym Leader for a minute or so. _"What!?" _

"Yeah, a Salamence. Big, scary-looking thing. Red says it likes me, though."

"Not that! What do you mean Aura swordfight? What does that even mean?"

A new voice interrupted Misty's answer. "The term is a _duel, _thank you very much. Don't let Athena catch you calling it that." The four jumped yet again at Red's unexpected arrival. Pikachu muttered something under his breath as Red took the empty seat next to Dawn and Brock. "Quiet, you. There's nothing wrong with dramatic entrances."

"How in the name of Palkia do you manage to sneak up on us _every single time?_" Misty wondered.

Red grinned, but didn't reply. "Look," he said instead, "the match is starting soon."

"THE MATCH BETWEEN MAX MAPLE OF PETALBURG AND TAYLOR ADAMS OF OLIVINE WILL NOW BEGIN!" The referee announced.

"Told you."

"THIS MATCH WILL BE A DOUBLE BATTLE WITH NO SUBSTITUTIONS! TRAINERS, CHOOSE YOUR POKÉMON!"

The Olivine Trainer moved first, hurling two Pokéballs onto the field. "Let's do this! Skarmory, Magneton, show your steel!" The light from the spheres dimmed, revealing the Armor Bird and Magnet Pokémon.

Max threw his own Pokéball onto the field. "C'mon, Shadow!" In a burst of red light, the Dark Type appeared, snarling at its opponents. "You're up, Grace," Max said, nodding to the Embrace Pokémon floating alongside him. The Gardevoir disappeared in a flash of light, reappearing a second later near Max's Mightyena.

The referee lifted his flags. "BOTH TRAINERS AT THE READY! BEGIN!"

"Grace, Thunderbolt on Skarmory! Shadow, Flamethrower on Magneton! Let's get some damage done!" Max ordered.

His Pokémon obeyed instantly, not giving Taylor the chance to counter. Grace closed her eyes, and a bolt of electricity streaked towards the Steel/Flying Type. Shadow raced forwards and let loose a thick stream of flame.

"Skar, dodge with Agility, then counter with Dark Slash! Ton, use Flash Cannon!"

Skarmory screeched and disappeared mere instants before Grace's Thunderbolt would have struck it. It blurred towards the Psychic, wings glowing dark violet. Magneton, however, was not so lucky. The super-effective attack struck the Magnet Pokémon, but Steel Types as a rule do not give up so easily. Bearing the fiery blow without so much as flinching, the six magnets lining the Pokémon's body zeroed in on the Dark Type. A silver sphere charged in front of the Electric/Steel Type, glowing bright in the midday sun.

"Shadow! Intercept Skarmory! Grace, try to redirect the Cannon!"

Magneton fired. A massive beam of silver energy raced towards the Dark Type. The audience _oohed _and _aahed _at the attack.

Dawn's eyes widened. "Whoa! How is that Magneton so powerful?"

Red leaned forward in his seat. "Interesting. That Magneton must have the ability Analytic. If the user moves after the target Pokémon, the base attack power of the user's moves is increased dramatically. Ms. Adams must have done some serious training with her Magneton to bring out that ability. Only certain evolutionary groups have access to it."

"Well put, Mr. Red. It is Red, correct?"

The group spun around – or, as well as one could while seated in stadium chairs – and felt their jaws collectively drop. Standing before them was none other than Lance himself, clad in his trademark cape. Behind him stood Pryce, eyeing Red with suspicion.

"Just Red, if you don't mind," Red said after a moment or two. "You must be Lance."

The Kanto Champion nodded. "Interesting match, isn't it?" he said, nodding towards the battlefield.

Red's eyes narrowed. "It sure is. Max has his work cut out for him today."

"You know him?"

Red shrugged. "We met a few days ago. He's a very spirited Trainer. I predict he'll go far in the Tournament."

Lance studied the hooded Trainer. "May we speak to you in private, Mr. Red?"

Red glanced down at the battle, then back up to Lance. "I'm kind of in the middle of something. I'm watching my friend battle."

"Please come with us." Lance's voice left nothing up for discussion.

Misty finally spoke up. "Lance, what's this all about?"

Lance paused, eyeing the Cerulean Gym Leader. "I would advise you to stay out of this, Ms. Waterflower. It is none of your concern."

"Red is my friend! That kind of makes it my concern!"

"It's all right, Misty," Red said, standing. "They just want to talk. C'mon, Pikachu." He turned to Lance, eyebrows raised. "Lead the way, Dragon Master."

Lance glared at Red a second longer and turned wordlessly on his heel, cape sweeping dramatically out behind him. Pryce followed behind the Champion, and Red behind him. Lance led them up a few flights of stairs towards the mezzanine that housed the Gym Leaders' box. The roar of the audience faded to a distant buzz.

Lance stopped. He spun around and faced Red. "I suppose you're wondering why we're here." He paused, but if he was expecting a reaction he was disappointed.

Red reached up and scratched Pikachu between the ears. "An explanation would be nice, yeah."

Pryce glanced at Red's belt, noting the lack of Pokéballs attached to it. "Where's your Lucario?" He asked suddenly.

"Probably back at camp. She didn't feel like coming today."

Lance nodded. "About your Lucario – Athena, wasn't it? Might I ask where you captured her? She's certainly a powerful Pokémon."

Red and Pikachu shared a look. "So that's what this is about. I assume Misty told you about my, ahem, endeavors in Mahogany?" He grinned at Pryce. "That's a _lovely _town you have, Pryce. Ever had a Rage Candy Bar? Absolutely _delicious._"

Pryce's eyes narrowed. "Why, you-!" The Ice Type Gym Leader stepped forward.

Lance cut him off with an outstretched arm. "Calm yourself, Pryce." The Kanto Champion crossed his arms. "So you know why we're here, then. We have it on good authority that you were at the Underground Gym before Pryce and the local police department raided the place."

"That I was."

"What were your motives for being there?"

"Ms. Waterflower, I expect, has already told you this. I was conducting a raid on a known Underground Gym – one, I might add, the local Gym Leader had _no _knowledge of."

"That's where you're wrong," Pryce interjected. "The local Officer Jenny was tipped off about the Underground that afternoon!"

Red smiled. "And who do you think called the tip in?"

Lance ran a hand through his crimson hair. "Forgive me if I'm having trouble believing you. You claim to have discovered an Underground Gym, but instead of standing by and letting the League handle it, you decided to take matters into your own hands and raid them yourself?"

"That is correct."

"And how, pray tell, did one man and his Pokémon manage to take on – and incapacitate – over two dozen Underground Trainers and _their _Pokémon, who, as you know, are trained to kill?"

Red smiled knowingly at the Champion. "Are you saying you couldn't do something similar?"

"Of course not. But that's beside the point. How did _you?" _

"Well, for starters, my Pokémon are not your ordinary fighters." He nodded to Pikachu – or, rather, where Pikachu _was. _Lance suddenly became aware of the fact that there was a yellow mouse perched on his shoulder, cheeks sparking with electricity. Red smiled, nodding again to the Electric Mouse, who blurred and reappeared on his shoulder. "Secondly, _I'm _not your ordinary fighter, either." He held up a hand. A blue sphere swirled into existence, compacting itself to the size of about a baseball. Red let the Aura Sphere float for a minute longer before dispelling the energy, letting it fade into invisibility once again.

Pryce gaped, looking strikingly similar to a Goldeen out of water. Lance, however, nodded to himself and put a hand to his chin. "Well, that explains that. I apologize for my, ah, _frosty _behavior, as does Pryce." The Dragon Master extended a hand. "No hard feelings, right, Aura Guardian? You understand that the Pokémon League takes the Underground _very _seriously."

Red grinned, accepting the Champion's hand and shaking it. "Of course. Apology accepted, Dragon Tamer. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to the match." Nodding to Pryce, Red spun on his heel just as Lance had not minutes before and walked away. The two League members looked at each other.

"I still don't trust him," said Pryce.

"You don't trust anyone, old man," Lance replied, watching the Aura User walk away, "but you're right. An Aura Guardian appearing out of nowhere is more than a little suspicious. We'll have to keep an eye on him." The Dragon Master turned to leave. "Let Cynthia know I'll be gone for a day or two."

"Where are you going?"

"To talk to an old friend."

"So what'd I miss?" Red slid back into his seat, eyebrows raised at Brock.

"Hmm? Oh. Max's doing okay. This Taylor girl is tough… she _is _fairly pretty, though."

Red rolled his eyes and focused on the battlefield.

"Shadow! Dark Pulse! Grace! Try another Thunderbolt!"

A bruised and battered Shadow growled, summoning a spiral of Dark energy and firing it towards Magneton.

"Dodge with Magnet Rise! Skar, Metal Sound!"

The Magnet Pokémon shot upwards, narrowly avoiding the black-and-purple beam of energy that sped towards it. It hovered a good ten feet above the ground, awaiting its next command.

Grace's eyes flashed yellow, and her body crackled with electricity. Holding her hands close to her chest, she let out a mental cry and flung her arms outward, sending a bright yellow bolt of energy towards the Armor Bird.

The attack clipped the Steel/Flying Type on the wing. Skarmory cried out as the doubly super-effective attack rendered its left wing all but useless. As the bird began to fall, it brought its wings together and scratched them across each other. Silvery soundwaves spread throughout the arena, and soon the entire stadium was filled with the metallic, grating sound of the two wings being scraped together. Grace clapped her hands to her ears, Shadow began to whine and cover his ears, and even the crowds winced as the sound reverberated throughout the battlefield.

Max cupped his hands over his mouth. "Grace!" he shouted. "Shadow! Can you hear me?"

The Embrace Pokémon stumbled, turning around slowly, dazed. She could hear nothing. All that registered was a high, steady ringing in her ears. She saw Max's mouth move, but no sound came from it. **Can't… hear… **Her eyes closed, and she tried to focus on the Psychic energy, but could sense nothing, hear nothing, save the Arceus-damned _**noise**_.

Max grit his teeth. They were so close to winning! Stealing a glance at Magneton, his suspicions were confirmed. The Magnet Pokémon was tiring, and the Skarmory was all but unconscious. But his Pokémon couldn't hear him! "Thunder Fang!" He screamed. "Psychic!"

Taylor grinned. "That's why I love Steel Types," she said, tossing a Pokéball up and down. "Come on, Magneton! Let's finish this! Tri Attack!"

Slowly, deliberately, the outermost screws on the Magneton's body swiveled, glowing a brilliant white. Lines of silver energy connected the screws, forming a perfect triangle. The magnets on the Electric Type began to glow a pale blue, tendrils of electricity shooting off in all directions as the attack charged.

"No! Grace! Get out of there!" Max cried. "Get out! Dodge it!" he closed his eyes, not wanting to see the destruction that was sure to follow the Tri Attack. Come on! he screamed within his mind. Dodge! A single tear ran down his cheek.

Taylor smiled coldly. "Fire."

**Grace!**

The Embrace Pokémon's eyes widened, and she reacted instantly, teleporting to Max's side. The Tri Attack struck a millisecond later, kicking up a cloud of dust.

**M-max? **Grace thought.

**Grace? **

**I… I can hear you… You're… you're in my head..?**

Realization struck the two like a Swift attack to the chest. Max was telepathic! Just as Psychic Types could project their own thoughts into others, Max could to Grace. **I… I guess Red was right about me being a Psychic Type.**

** Come on, Max! We can think about this later! Now we need to finish this match!**

Max resisted the urge to slap himself. **Okay. Here's what we'll do. I can't see past that dust cloud, but neither can she. You need to get in there and find Magneton and take it out before they have the chance to attack again.**

Grace nodded, disappearing in a flash of light.

The crowd fell silent as they waited for the dust to settle. A referee made to send out his Pidgeot to clear the field, but stopped after a gesture from the officials. Time crept on at a glacial pace. The dust slowly, leisurely, began to die down.

**I found it! **

** Blow away the dust and finish this thing! **Max ordered, flinging out his arm. **"Psyshock!" **

For a moment, nothing happened. Suddenly, the cloud exploded outwards, revealing Grace, who stood in the exact center of the arena, arms outstretched. _"Gar de VOIR!" _she cried, arcing her body. Hundreds of spheres formed in midair, masses of blue, purple, pink energy that sped towards Magneton in a barrage of Psychic power.

The first volley of energy forced the Magnet Pokémon to the ground. The second knocked him back fifteen feet. The third sent him flying into the wall of the stadium, where the fallen Pokémon twitched once and lie still.

The referee raised his flag. "MAGNETON AND SKARMORY ARE UNABLE TO BATTLE! THE WINNER OF THIS MATCH IS MAX MAPLE OF PETALBURG!"

The audience erupted into cheers and applause. Max took a deep breath and smiled, recalling Shadow and nodding once to Taylor, who returned the gesture gracefully. Grace slowly floated over to her Trainer, who grabbed her in a warm embrace. Lifting his fists to the crowd, Max let out a shout of triumph and made his way to the arena exit, searching the crowds for his friends, eager to share in both his victory and his newfound ability.

"That match was pretty intense, wasn't it?"

"Totally! I thought Maxy was doomed near the end!"

"It was a passionate match," Red agreed as the group made their way through the sea of Trainers and spectators swamping the exits, "though I did miss most of it."

"So what did Lance want?" Misty asked, elbowing her way past a large Trainer and his Machoke.

"Oh, you know, he accused me of being an Underground League Trainer; I had to have Pikachu rush him and prove I was an Aura User to get him off my back. Normal stuff." Red shrugged, taking a half-step to the right to avoid tripping over a younger girl and her Diglett – how had it gotten in the Stadium, anyways?

"He what!?" Dawn glanced at Red and collided with a Kadabra. She would have hit the concrete if May hadn't caught her friend and helped her to her feet.

"It's understandable. I _was _at the Gym, I _did _get Athena there. It's feasible that I just managed to escape the raid somehow."

"Feasible? Red, that's Tauros-crap. You're no more an Underground Trainer than I am."

"Chill, Misty. We know Red's not in the Underground. Try to think about this from Lance's perspective. If some guy appeared out of nowhere with a Lucario he claims to have rescued from an Underground Gym, well, wouldn't you be the least bit suspicious?"

"Well, yeah, but –"

**Hey guys!**

The group paused, making their way to a section of the Stadium that wasn't as crowded. "Was that..?" Brock wondered aloud.

Max approached, a delighted smile on his face. **So did you see our battle? **He and Grace laughed at the group's confused expression. **Red was right! I'm Psychic!**

Red was the first to react, grinning and applauding the Young Trainer. "Well done, Max. That didn't take as long as I expected at all."

"You knew this would happen?" Max asked, speaking aloud this time.

"Max, you're talking to a guy that can use Aura. Of course I knew this would happen. Why else would I tell you you're Psychic? Though I must admit you learned a lot faster than I'd thought you would. You must be closer to Grace than I thought." Red clapped Max on the back.

"So, what do we do now?"

Red shrugged. "You have a few different options. If you want to be a Psychic, like Sabrina or the Mossdeep twins, I would suggest talking to them. They no doubt have ways to bring out your potential that I don't know about. Alternatively, if you wanted to learn to use Aura, I could maybe teach a few things. Athena already showed Grace how to better detect Aura, back when we were at camp. I could do something like that, or we could-"

"Will someone _please _explain what is going on?" Dawn interrupted. "First Max is talking like a Pokémon, now you can use Ore or whatever, and you're talking about Psychics and Uxie-knows-what!"

Max facepalmed. Red rubbed the back of his head, abashed. "Sorry. How about we all go to lunch, and I'll explain?"

* * *

_-Later-_

Red paused to take a bite of food. "…any questions?"

Silence. Dawn, May, and Brock stared. Somewhere, a Kricketot chirped.

Rolling his eyes, Red pushed back from the table and leaned back in his seat. "So what didn't you understand? It's a lot to take in, I know…"

Brock put a hand to his chin. "That's the thing, though," he began, taking a small sip of water before continuing, "Everything you said actually makes sense to me. I'm a Pokémon Doctor, do I deal with Pokémon every day. What you said explains a lot of the weird stuff I've seen."

Red nodded. "May? Dawn?"

The Coordinators glanced at each other and nodded. May's hand went to her belt, where she toyed with the Pokéballs attached there. "So… how do you figure out what Type you are?"

Red shrugged. "With people who don't specialize in a single type of Pokémon, it's difficult to say. Brock, for example, is a Rock or Ground Type. Misty's Water, and so on. But for the two of you…" he trailed off. "Well," he said after a moment, "a person's Type isn't set in stone. Dawn, if you started spending a lot of time with, say, Fire Types, you'd slowly become stained to that type. That's not to say you'd be exclusively Fire, no, just that you're more attuned to that type of energy. Get it?"

"Sort of…"

Red scratched the back of his head. "Sorry, I'm not the best at explaining this type of thing. I guess it depends on you, and your Pokémon. There's no set way of knowing."

Misty glanced at her Pokégear and stood. "Sorry, guys, but I've got to get ready for my match. It starts in an hour." Sliding the phone into her back pocket, she glanced at Red. "You'll be there, right?"

Red smiled. "Wouldn't dream of missing it."

Misty beamed. "Awesome. See you all in an hour."

* * *

_-Indigo Bay-_

Misty stood at the bow of the ferry, looking out over the placid waters of the Indigo Bay. The captain of the ferry, a fat, happy man that had requested he call her Kapp'n, had just informed her that they would soon be arriving at their destination. Misty's eyes were set on the horizon, and she let out a quiet gasp when their journey's end came into view.

Aquarius Stadium.

A veritable Ecruteak for Water-Type Trainers, Aquarius Stadium was constructed using state-of-the-art technologies combined with old-fashioned Pokémon power. The entirety of the stadium floated unsupported in the center of Indigo Bay, only accessible by ferry, Water-, or Flying-Type Pokémon. Throughout the fiercest storms, the Stadium remained unmoved, and if one knew the terrain, it was one of the best battle sites this side of the Battle Zone.

And few knew the art of naval combat better than Cerulean City's Misty Waterflower.

The ferry slowly pulled into the stadium's docks. Nodding her thanks to Kapp'n, Misty stepped smoothly onto the wooden berth, her hand drifting to the pouch on her thigh. Inside, three Pokéballs twitched with excitement, their charges barely able to contain themselves with the prospect of battling here, at Aquarius Stadium.

* * *

_-Aquarius Stadium-_

"WELCOME, ONE AND ALL! THE NEXT MATCH IN THE POKÉMON WORLD TOURNAMENT IS ABOUT TO BEGIN! IT IS MY PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE TO YOU A TRAINER ALL THE WAY FROM THE UNOVA REGION, THE SURFER FROM UNDELLA BAY, KEEEEEEEELLLYYYYYYY SLATERRRR!"

The crowd cheered as the blond Trainer strolled confidently into the stadium. Taking his spot on the platform, Kelly raised a hand to the audience, a relaxed grin on his face. "Technically, it's the Isshu region, dude, but whatever," he said, mainly to himself.

"AND FACING HIM, THE WATER MASTER HERSELF, THE MERMAID OF CERULEAN COVE, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I GIVE YOU MMMIISSSTTYYY WATERFLOWERRRRR!"

Misty, too, took her place on her platform, offering a nod to the Isshu native. Kelly grinned and nodded back, unclipping a Pokéball and looking to the referee. "C'mon, brah, let's get this thing started! Me'n the sis are waitin' on you to line it up!"

The official stared at the surfer for a second. "What?"

Kelly rolled his eyes. "Bro. Start the match."

"Oh! Right." The referee cleared his throat. "THE MATCH WILL BE A THREE-ON-THREE SINGLE BATTLE! TRAINERS, CHOOSE YOUR POKÉMON!"

Kelly let out a whoop. "Stellar! Go aggro, Tails!" He cried, tossing the Pokéball into the air. When the light faded, the sleek orange body of a Buizel waited in the waters.

"Take him on, Starmie!" Misty called, releasing the Star Pokémon. The Water/Psychic Type hovered above the waves, slowly spinning as it awaited Misty's commands.

"BOTH TRAINERS READY! BEGIN!"

"Starmie, Hydro Pump!"

"Chill 'em out, Tails! Icy Wind!"

_"Starmie!" _Starmie cried as its core flashed a deep blue. Spinning, the Star Pokémon aimed one of its limbs at the Buizel, and a huge torrent of water shot out of the Water/Psychic Type.

Tails sucked in a breath of air and dove down to avoid Starmie's attack. Using its tails to propel itself, the Sea Weasel burst out of the waves, a sphere of pale blue energy charging on its lips. Hovering in midair, Tails finished charging the attack and cried his name, blowing a stream of frozen air directly towards Starmie. The attack struck head-on, freezing the water around the Star Pokémon.

"Starmie!" Misty called. Her eyes narrowed, and she cracked her neck. "Alright. Two can play at that game. Ice Beam!"

Starmie's core glowed a light blue as the attack charged. The jewel flashed brightly, and, like before, a torrent of water spewed forth towards the Sea Weasel Pokémon. This time, however, the deluge of water crackled, freezing itself solid as it flew towards its enemy.

Kelly grinned. "I don't think so. SonicBoom!"

Tails leapt out of the water, his twin tails glowing silver. Flipping in midair, the Buizel lashed out, sending metallic crescents to intercept the attack. The shining arcs hit the icy beam dead on, shattering it entirely. Fragments of ice flew in all directions as the beam was obliterated by the powerful attack. There was a deafening crack, as though the air itself had exploded, as the SonicBoom attack broke the sound barrier – and kept going, slicing through the air and striking Starmie dead-center. The Star Pokémon let out a pained cry and fell into the waters, its ruby core flashing a crimson red.

"Starmie!" Misty cried. "Are you okay?"

_"Star," _The Water/Psychic Type replied stubbornly, rising up from the waves.

Misty grinned. "Let's make 'em regret that. Power Gem!"

"Get in close, brah!"

Starmie pinwheeled, its crystal core shining violet. All around the Star Pokémon, the sunlight bent, forming rock-shaped disks of light that sparkled as though made of precious stones. Meanwhile, Tails dove into the water, claws extending from his orange paws and glowing yellow. The Sea Weasel sped towards Starmie, who, rising higher into the air, attacked, firing the gem-like orbs of light at Tails.

"Dodge!" Kelly yelled.

The first of the gems struck the water, missing the orange weasel by mere inches. Dozens more followed, honing in on Tails. Despite the Buizel's attempts to dodge, several of the glowing stones collided with the Pokémon.

When the last of the gems had fallen, Misty grinned and nodded. "Now."

The water surrounding Tails exploded in a fury of ocean froth, sending the Sea Weasel tumbling through the air.

It was Kelly's turn to grin. "Fury Cutter!"

Tails grinned, flashing his teeth and spinning in midair. His twin tails began to spin, faster, faster, slowing his fall until the Buizel was hovering in midair, just alongside Starmie. _"Bui ZEL!" _He cried, slashing the Star Pokémon, once, twice, thrice, four times in a brutal display of speed and power. Tails paused the onslaught, holding up a claw, which shone a brilliant gold, and made a final cut, slashing directly into Starmie's central core.

A sickening crack resonated throughout the stadium. Starmie didn't even have time to cry out before it fell, knocked cold by the cracking of its life jewel.

A hush fell over the crowd as the Sea Star fell into the waters, its core glowing dully with the crimson color of blood.

"_Starmie!" _Misty's pained cry split the deafening silence in two. Her backpack slid off her shoulders and hit the ground as the Gym Leader dove headfirst into the waters, sprinting towards the fallen Pokémon. The referee blew a whistle, pausing the match, and released a Lapras to help Misty.

Up in the stands, Red turned to Max. "Max. I need Grace."

"What?"

Red gestured to the arena, where Misty had just reached her Pokémon. "Starmie's core just cracked. Brock, you're a Pokémon Doctor. What happens when a Starmie or Staryu's core shatters?"

Brock paled. "Th…they die."

"Exactly. I can help Starmie, but I have to get there _now. _I need Grace to teleport me and Athena down there."

The olive-haired Trainer's eyes widened. "O-okay," he replied, shakily unclipping Grace's Pokéball and releasing the Embrace Pokémon. "Grace, do what Red says."

**What's going on?**

"You're going to help me save a life. I need you to Teleport me and Athena to Misty's platform."

**O-okay… **Grace nodded, closing her eyes. Red placed a hand on Athena's shoulder, and suddenly the Aura Users were atop the tiny stage.

Misty jumped at their sudden appearance, standing from where she'd been kneeling over Starmie. "What the _hell _are you doing here?"

**Saving Starmie's life, **Athena snapped, taking the Gym Leader's spot next to the Star Pokémon. The Aura Pokémon closed her eyes, and the black appendages atop her head splayed outward. **It's bad, **she reported, placing a hand over the broken core, **Starmie is very nearly gone.**

"Try Heal Pulse," Red suggested, cracking his knuckles anxiously.

Athena nodded, her hand flaring pink and purple and pressing down against the crimson jewel. **It's not working. I can't heal her when her core is cracked like this.**

"Then seal the crack!" Red joined Athena at Starmie's side. Pushing up his sleeves, his hands burned with blue flame. "On three?"

**One…** Athena's hands began to glow violet, and amethyst flames arose from her paws.

"Two…"

**"Three!" **Human and Pokémon shouted together, pushing down on the Star Pokémon's core. Blue and violet fire raced along the fissure, spreading and enveloping the Water Type's fractured center. A starburst of light erupted from Red and Athena's hands, engulfing the three in indigo light.

The light faded, slowly revealing Red and Athena, still kneeling over Starmie's prone body. For a terrible moment, nothing happened. Then, Starmie's core flashed, the flawless gem sparkling a deep blue before fading once again.

Red stood, sighing in relief. Wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead, he turned to Misty, nodding to himself. "Starmie's going to be okay. We managed to seal the crack in her core, but she is still very badly wounded. You need to get her to a Pokémon Center as soon as possible."

Misty stared, looking up at the stranger who had just saved her Pokémon's life. "Th-thank you, Red," she finally managed to say.

A small smile spread across Red's face. "Of course."

Athena coughed. **Master… **

"Hmm? Oh. Right." Red blushed. "Well, we'd better go. Good luck with the rest of your match, Misty." He nodded to Grace, who rolled her eyes before Teleporting back to Max and the others.

Misty waited for a second longer before recalling Starmie into her Pokéball. Reminding herself to find the nearest PokéCenter as soon as the match had ended, she took a deep breath to clear her head and nodded to the referee.

The ref blew on his whistle once again. "THE BATTLE WILL NOW CONTINUE! MISTY, SELECT YOUR NEXT POKÉMON!"

Red sighed, taking his seat next to Max. "Thank you."

Brock stared at the Aura User. "How did you _do _that? Starmie should be dead now, and you know it."

"I know, but I couldn't let that happen. No one deserves to lose a Pokémon."

"That's why I became a Doctor, but, medically speaking, what you did is nearly impossible. There are, like, two known cases where a Starmie or Staryu with a broken core survived the ordeal, let alone were ever able to fight again."

Red shrugged. "Aura is a powerful thing."

Down in the arena, Misty's eyes narrowed at Kelly. "Right. Now it's personal." Selecting a Pokéball, she expanded it and hurled it onto the field. "Gyarados! Let's do this!"

The huge beast appeared midair, roaring as it crashed down into the arena, sending ocean spray up to even the highest stadium seats.

Kelly stared up at the mammoth serpent. The Atrocious Pokémon towered over the Unova Trainer and his Pokémon, who both sweatdropped at their enormous opponent.

Misty grinned at Kelly's slack-jawed expression. "Now you'll pay! Gyarados, Dragon Rage!"

_"Gyar!" _Bellowing its name for all to hear, Gyarados unleashed a swirling cyclone of blue fire that spun towards the Sea Weasel.

"Tails, get out of there!"

Too late. The vortex of azure fire struck the Buizel, encircling the small Water Type. Gyarados's Rage spun into a compact ball of energy before exploding, sending Tails skidding over the water. The orange Pokémon floated, unconscious after the single blow.

"BUIZEL IS UNABLE TO CONTINUE! KELLY, CHOOSE YOUR NEXT POKÉMON!"

Awestruck, Kelly returned Tails and unclipped another Pokéball. "Guess we deserved that," he began, expanding the ball to full size.

"Well, you nearly killed my starter, so yeah, I'd say you did," Misty replied.

Kelly grinned. "Alright, wahine, I'll concede to that."

"We're waiting, Slater. Unless you _want _to give up now," Misty taunted. A deep rumble that might have been a laugh emanated from Gyarados's throat, and the Atrocious Pokémon grinned viciously at the Undella surfer.

"Not on your life. C'mon out, Clay!"

There was a flash of light, and a violet, spiky Pokémon appeared in the water. The Bivalve Pokémon grinned devilishly at Gyarados, unfazed by the Sea Serpent.

"Alright, Clay, Aurora Beam! Let's get some damage done!"

"Gyarados, Dragon Pulse!"

The Cloyster grinned, firing a multicolored beam of energy towards the giant snake. The rainbow beam struck the Atrocious Pokémon, and the air around the beast dropped nearly twenty degrees. A massive shudder ran up and down Gyarados's spine as the spectral attack took effect.

Shaking its head, Gyarados reared up, towering over the Bivalve Pokémon. A green ball of energy charged inside his gaping mouth. With a roar, the Sea Serpent fired.

"Withdraw!"

Instantly, the Cloyster pulled in on itself, clamping its purple shell tightly shut. Not an instant later, the viridian attack struck Clay's hardened skin. The force of the blow drove the Bivalve Pokémon back a good ten feet, blackening the parts of the shell that had taken the brunt of the blow.

"You alright, Clay?"

_"Ster Cloyster," _the Sea Shell Pokémon growled.

"Alright! Ice Beam!"

Cloyster smirked, forming a sphere of frozen energy in front of its horn. The ball of ice, painted a pale blue that seemed to radiate cold, floated in front of Clay for a second longer before exploding outwards towards Gyarados, beams of the pale light streaking towards the Atrocious Pokémon.

"Melt it with Flamethrower!"

"What!?" Kelly shouted as Gyarados roared, flames billowing from the Serpent's mouth. A wall of fire burst into existence, turning the frozen attacks instantly into steam. The subliming beams of ice created a dense cloud of fog that spread throughout the stadium.

"Now finish it with Thunder!" Misty commanded.

_"Gyaaaar!" _Deep blue electricity coursed along Gyarados's body, running up and down the Serpent before releasing itself into the air. A huge current, perhaps a foot thick at the least, raced towards the Bivalve Pokémon. The Sea Shell, still partially blinded by the steam, saw the attack and attempted to withdraw once again into its shell.

The super-effective attack struck, the sound of electricity filling the arena. The steam faded, and Clay floated unconscious in the water.

"CLOYSTER IS UNABLE TO BATTLE! KELLY, SELECT YOUR FINAL POKÉMON!"

The Surfer licked his lips, recalling the fallen Bivalve Pokémon. He eyed Misty from across the battlefield. "Hey, forget everything that's happened today. Let's finish this, yeah?"

The Gym Leader nodded. "Once and for all," she replied.

"Done and done, shea." Kelly unclipped his final Pokéball, running a hand over the metallic red. "Let's do this, sister," he said softly, tapping the release button and expanding the sphere. "Ride the waves, Mizu!"

The Pokéball burst overhead, blue light pouring from the small machine. A light blue Pokémon formed, splashing down into the sea. Diving down, it leapt out of the waters, a ball of ice forming in its jaws. The Dewott fired a beam of ice at the water below her, conjuring an oblong oval of ice beneath him. The Discipline Pokémon flipped once and landed perfectly on the frozen platform, sizing up the monstrous Sea Serpent before it.

"Gyarados, Aqua Tail!"

The Atrocious Pokémon snarled, unimpressed by the Dewott's appearance. Turning faster than most would think possible for a beast of its size, Gyarados lashed out with its tail. A spiraling stream of water shot from the tip of his tail, streaking towards the Isshu Pokémon.

"Swords Dance!"

Mizu smirked as the torrent of water struck the Discipline Pokémon square in the chest, propelling it and the frozen platform it stood on back several feet. Unaffected by the attack, the Dewott reached down, grasping the two shells on either hip. Slowly, almost reverently, Mizu drew the scalchops, holding them out in front of her. The shells began to glow violet, ethereal blades extending to their full length. The Discipline Pokémon swung the blades in sharp, concise patterns, leaving behind violet streaks that lingered in the scalchops' wake.

"Hydro Pump!"

"Air Slash!"

Gyarados thundered, blasting a powerful torrent of water towards Mizu, who narrowed her eyes and tightened her grip on the scalchops. At the last moment, the Dewott shifted its weight to the left, dodging the jet by mere centimeters. The Hydro Pump struck the water where she had been not an instant before, forming a huge wave that pushed the Discipline Pokémon away.

Lowering one of the shells into the water, Mizu rode along the crest of the wave, using the blade as an impromptu rudder to steer itself towards the Atrocious Pokémon.

"Gyarados, Dragon Tail!"

The Sea Serpent growled at his opponent, coiling up like an Arbok before a strike. His tail shone dark purple, and he released, swinging his body full circle, his tail sweeping low towards the Discipline Pokémon.

"Now!"

Mizu let out a war cry as the massive tail came racing towards her. She took a single step and leapt high into the air, flipping over the Dragon's attack. The Dewott slashed out with her scalchops, creating an x-shaped crescent of silver energy that flew towards Gyarados.

The attack slashed into the Atrocious Pokémon's face, cutting an 'x' into the blue crests on the Serpent's head. Gyarados thrashed in pain as blood seeped out of the wound and into its eyes, blinding it.

"Now, Mizu, Return!" Kelly yelled.

The Discipline Pokémon smiled, tightening her grip on the shells. Flipping once more in midair, she lashed out with both her legs, a savage kick striking the Atrocious Pokémon squarely on the jaw.

Gyarados crumpled, falling into the ocean without so much as a cry of defeat. Throwing up another wave of ocean spray, the Sea Serpent floated, unconscious, on the waves of Indigo Bay. Mizu landed gracefully on her frozen surfboard, bowing to her fallen opponent.

"GYARADOS IS UNABLE TO BATTLE! MISTY, SELECT YOUR FINAL POKÉMON!"

Dawn gasped. "Oh, no! Misty only has one Pokémon left!"

"Chill out, Dawn," said May. "Misty's gonna be fine."

"Ha! Says the girl that was practically chewing her fingers off during Max's battle!"

"Shut up! That's different! He's my brother; I'm _supposed _to be look out for him." Max snorted at that, but the Hoenn Coordinator ignored it.

"_So, _Brock," Red said, turning to the former Gym Leader, "Who do you think Misty will choose?"

The Pokémon Doctor stroked his chin. "I'm not sure, Red. Golduck would be her best bet, seeing as how he's her strongest Pokémon, but I wouldn't be surprised if she picked Squirtle or Aria."

"Aria?" Red asked.

"Her Lapras. She used to belong to an old friend of ours, but our friend released her so she could stay with her herd. A few years back, Misty came across Aria while she was searching for our friend."

Red raised his eyebrows. "Really?" They had been looking for him?

"Yup. Aria wanted to help Misty find our friend, so she decided to join her team. That was about four years ago, now."

Red nodded, looking down at Misty. "I see. Did she ever find your friend?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

Brock's mood darkened. "No. None of us have. The only person who knows where he is now is his mother, and she's not telling."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. According to Delia, he sends her a letter every month or so. The rest of us? Nothing. It's like he forgot about us or something. I mean, I traveled with him for three and a half _years. _I was with him in Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh – you name it, I was there with him."

"Except for the time you stayed at Professor Ivy's," Max deadpanned, grinning up at the Pewter native.

Brock froze. A shudder ran up and down his spine. "I told you to never say that name," he whispered, slowly curling up into a ball and rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet.

Athena sweatdropped. **What..?**

Grace shrugged. **Mew if **_**I **_**know. Apparently, Brock once spent a few months as an intern for Professor Ivy in the Orange Islands. Something… happened.**

Brock was now fully convulsing. "You said _her name! _Why, Max? Why!? I _trusted _you!"

Max shrugged, looking down at the battlefield. "Your fault for telling us."

Down in the arena, Misty expanded her last Pokéball. "Let's hope that training paid off! Squirtle! I choose you!"

The Tiny Turtle Pokémon appeared in a flash of blue light, grinning mischievously at Mizu. The evolved Isshu starter raised an eyebrowat him before smirking herself.

"Water Gun!" The two Trainers called out simultaneously.

Mizu reacted first, firing a jet of water from her mouth towards Squirtle, who responded in kind. The two attacks met head-on and clashed together, both streams fighting for dominance. Slowly, Mizu's attack began to force Squirtle's stream backwards. Further and further it pushed, until Squirtle's Water Gun ended a mere foot in front of his face. Mizu's attack made a final push, and broke through, hitting Squirtle hard in the chest. The attack knocked the air out of Squirtle's lungs and pushed him back several feet.

"Squirtle!"

The Tiny Turtle Pokémon growled. _"Squirtle!" _It dove underwater, reappearing near where Misty stood. Leaping out of the water as Mizu had earlier, Squirtle did the same and froze his own platform, landing on it and glaring at the Discipline Pokémon.

"Let's do this, Squirtle. Ice Beam!"

"Dodge and use Brine!"

Squirtle fell onto all fours and fired a stream of blue light from his open mouth. The frozen energy sped towards Mizu, who caught a nearby wave and surfed away, charging her own attack. The Dewott leaned forward and released, a spout of ocean water escaping her lips and striking Squirtle, knocking him off his platform.

The Kanto starter yelped as he fell into the bay, but quickly scrambled back onto his board. He glanced at Misty, shoulders half-raised in a gesture that asked _What do I do now?_

Misty's eyes narrowed, looking back and forth from Squirtle and Mizu. The Discipline Pokémon smirked at the Cerulean Gym Leader, as though she was mocking her. Now that Misty thought about it, she probably was. Unless she and Squirtle did something fast, they would be toast. Soggy toast, but toast nonetheless. And Mizu knew it, judging by the way she sneered.

Hold up. _She. _Yes, that would do quite nicely.

"Change of plans, Squirtle! Attract!"

Squirtle grinned, pulling a pair of sunglasses from… _somewhere… _and donning them. Still smiling, he pulled them down and winked at the Discipline Pokémon, a devilish smirk on his lips. A purple heart formed in the air above Squirtle's head, hovering there for a moment before fading away. _"Squirtle squirt, Squirtle."_

Mizu froze. She blushed, a deep violet coloring her cheeks. A small smile adorned her face as the Dewott slowly lowered her arms.

"Mizu! What are you doing! Aqua Jet!"

The Discipline Pokémon said nothing, dismissing her Trainer with a wave of her hand.

"Alright, Squirtle! We've got 'em right where we want 'em. Use Toxic!"

Squirtle grinned, surfing closer to the Dewott, whose blush seemed to deepen as he approached. Shrugging, the Tiny Turtle opened his mouth, exhaling a thick stream of toxic sludge that enveloped Mizu.

"Mizu!"

The Dewott did nothing to prevent the attack, and did nothing to wash off the poisonous muck. She stood there, beaming, as the poison marred her fur purple and soaked her to the bone. Her eyes flashed briefly as the venom sank in, forcing the Discipline Pokémon to her knees, but a second later she had found her feet once again, standing blissfully in Squirtle's presence.

"Squirtle, use Aqua Tail!"

"_Squirt!" _the Kanto starter replied, diving into the waters. Swimming towards Mizu, a spiral of water surrounded his tail, which glowed a bright blue. Leaping into the air, Squirtle spun around and slammed his tail into Mizu, sending the Discipline Pokémon flying. The Dewott landed with a splash near Kelly's platform.

"Mizu! You alright?"

Mizu gasped for breath, looking around with widened eyes. Her gaze flitted around the arena before landing on Squirtle. _"Wott dew Dewott," _she growled.

Misty swore under her breath. "Damn. That didn't last as long as I'd hoped. Ah well. We poisoned her, so unless Kelly whips out something like Façade _really _soon, we'll come out of this thing on top."

"Alright, sis! Façade!"

"_Damn it!"_

Mizu closed her eyes and focused. An orange aura slowly surrounded her body, feeding off of the poison in her veins. The Discipline Pokémon shone brightly with newfound power, opening her eyes and smiling evilly at Squirtle, who blanched somewhat under her stare. Mizu held the gaze for a second longer before disappearing underwater.

"Squirtle! Iron Defense!"

Nodding, the Tiny Turtle Pokémon withdrew into his shell. His body was shone briefly with a metallic glow as his shell toughened.

Not a second too soon. Mizu leapt from the waves, brandishing her scalchops and swinging them down onto Squirtle's hardened shell. The sound of metal meeting metal resonated through the arena as attack met defense.

"Squirtle! You good?"

Slowly, the battered Pokémon came out from within his shell, nodding slowly to Misty. He kept his eyes focused on Mizu, who dove back into the water and was circling around for another pass. Suddenly, the Discipline Pokémon's skin flashed purple as the poison still lingering in her body took effect. She halted, crying out in pain.

"We're not going to get another chance like this, Squirtle! Finish her off with Hydro Cannon!"

Squirtle nodded, standing up straight. His eyes closed, and he sucked in a huge breath as his body began to glow a deep, vibrant cobalt. The Tiny Turtle Pokémon opened his mouth, and a huge indigo-colored sphere formed in front of his jaws. _"SQUIRTLE!" _He cried, releasing the attack.

Kelly's eyes widened as the massive torrent streaked towards his Pokémon. "Mizu! Get out of there! Protect!"

Too late. The ultimate Water-Type move slammed into Mizu, sending her flying. Several tons of water crashed onto the Dewott, blasting the Discipline Pokémon backwards into her Trainer. Kelly caught the Water-Type projectile with his stomach, toppling him over as well.

There was silence as the attack subsided, revealing Mizu unconscious in her Trainer's arms, and Squirtle kneeling in the middle of the arena, head bowed to the Isshu native.

"DEWOTT IS UNABLE TO CONTINUE THE MATCH! THE WINNER OF THIS BATTLE IS MISTY WATERFLOWER OF CERULEAN CITY!"

The audience erupted into cheers. Misty sighed in relief as Squirtle slowly swam back to her and crawled up onto her shoulder. Across the battlefield, Kelly Slater's eyes locked onto Misty's. In the surfer's eyes was disappointment, yes, but also a fiery kind of pride and the faint glow of a smile. The defeated Undella Trainer nodded, breaking eye contact, and turned, cradling his Pokémon in his arms as he walked away. Reaching up to pat her Squirtle's shell, the victor turned and did the same.

* * *

-_Later, Indigo Plateau Pokémon Center-_

Misty smiled tiredly to the Nurse behind the counter. "Thanks," she said, accepting the three Pokéballs and sliding them into her pouch. Yawning, the Gym Leader half-ignored the Nurse's traditional bow and the ever-present 'we hope to see you again~!'that was these Centers' motto and walked away, sighing in relief for what must have been the fiftieth time that day.

"Well, you _have_ had a rough day," a voice said to her left.

Misty didn't even turn, knowing the only one who would – and probably could – sneak up on her like that was Red. "So you can read my mind now?" she asked, stepping through the automatic doors and out into the cool of the night.

"Nah. Just your Aura. Reading your mind takes effort, and I'm tired."

Misty snorted at that. "I'll bet. Fighting one-on-one with your own Pokémon must take a lot out of you."

Red snickered. "Not as much as you might think. We've been training like that for years now. You should see us when we're actually fighting. If you can help it, never get on Athena's bad side. Ever. She doesn't pull punches when she's angry. Uh, don't tell her I said that."

"No promises, Red." Misty grinned, coming to a stop in front of the hotel she and her friends were staying at.

Red pouted. "C'mon, Waterflower. You owe me."

Misty glanced up at the hooded Aura User. "Oh, yeah," she said, feigning interest in her shoes. "About that…" she paused, unsure of what to say. "I… Thank you." Smooth, Waterflower. Thanking the guy who saved your starter's life was _so _original. How did she do it? "I mean… If you hadn't been there… Starmie'd be dead." Wow. Way to state the obvious. Arceus, she was bad at this sort of thing. "I… I'm really grateful. _Really._"

Red smiled. "There's no need for that. I just did what anyone would have done."

"Don't say that. Don't trivialize it. You saved Starmie's _life. _Not 'anyone'. _You. _So… Thank _you_." Then, before the rational part of her brain could convince her otherwise, Misty had stepped forward and wrapped Red in a hug.

Red tensed, eyes widening under his hood. Trying to ignore the Butterfrees in his stomach, and hoping Misty couldn't hear the rapid beating of his heart, he slowly returned the hug,

After a brief second, which felt much too short for both parties, Misty pulled away, searching the face that lay hidden underneath the dark hood. Red looked like he wanted to say something, half-opening his mouth, but instead just sighed and smiled sadly at the Gym Leader.

"You're welcome, Mist," he said, slowly turning away. His heart fluttered in his chest, and he sighed, closing his eyes as he walked away.

Misty's gaze followed the hooded Trainer's back as he made his way into the nearby forests, no doubt returning to his campsite for the night. She, too, sighed as the trees enveloped him and he disappeared from her view. Leaning against the wall, she looked up at the night sky. Slowly, she slid her backpack around her shoulder, loosening the strings and peering inside. She sighed again, sliding down the wall so she was more or less sitting, and reached inside. After a brief second, her hand grasped the rough fabric that she knew so well. Yet another sigh escaped her lips as she pulled the object from her backpack and stared with eyes that threatened to tear up.

The hat was faded and somewhat flattened, but the mere sight of it brought back so many memories, as vibrant as though she'd only just experienced them. She'd shared so many adventures with the boy who had once worn this hat. With him, she trekked across Kanto, the Orange Islands, and Johto, seeing so many new places, meeting so many new people and Pokémon. Then, her sisters had left her in charge of the family Gym, and they'd been forced to part ways.

A single tear rolled down Misty's cheek. Dammit, why did she have to be so emotional? Why did she have to feel this way? Things had been so simple out on the road, never knowing what adventure they'd have next.

Now, things were so… _complicated. _She didn't know what to feel. She closed her eyes and saw Red's face grinning back at her. She looked again and the image was replaced by Ash. Misty opened her eyes and looked up at the sky once again. "Where are you, Ash?" she whispered.

But there was no reply. And for all she knew, there would never be one.

_**Hells yeah I'm back! **_

_** …Wow. Way to ruin the mood. Thanks, brain!**_

_** Moment of silence for Misty, a cruel casualty to Love, Muse, and the cruelty of the author.**_

_** So, yeah. Been a while. I'm so sorry, everyone. Really. I was planning on updating during December, then I was going do do an end-of-the-world chapter, then it was postponed to Christmas, then to New Years', then…. Sigh. You get the idea.**_

_**But that doesn't matter, because I finally finished this chapter! Woot! Yeah.**_

_** In order to ensure that this never happens again, I will now institute a new rule for you, my lovelies. From now on, if I haven't updated this story in at least a month and a half, you have my permission to send me PMs reminding me to get off my lazy ass and do some writing. Seriously.**_

_** For right now, though, I'll settle for your reviews. Your precious, delicious reviews.**_

_** See you next chapter,**_

_** -Wolverinejoe**_


	9. In Which Events Occur

_-Sinnoh Region-_

Dragonite was tired.

It was an inconvenience, albeit an understandable one. The Dragon Type had been flying nonstop for the past four hours. Even the strongest Pokémon had to tire eventually, especially when they were carrying a passenger, who more than likely hadn't been helping, what with his insistence on the speed of his Pokémon. It wasn't fair to Dragonite to presume that his friend could make such a trip and not be affected. Not fair at all.

That didn't mean Lance didn't have to be annoyed whenever the pace was slowed.

The Dragon Master reached up and patted Dragonite's neck, saying something nigh undecipherable over the roar of the wind in their ears. The orange dragon huffed a reply, which was likewise lost to the whims of the breeze.

Lance considered telling Dragonite to rest and return to his Pokéball while he continued on someone else, Flygon maybe, but shrugged and said nothing. His Dragons were strong. Proud, too, and they'd be damned if something as trivial as fatigue got in their way. No, at this rate, Lance would be better off letting Dragonite finish the job. They were close enough to their destination, anyhow. Another few minutes, and they'd have arrived.

_Another few minutes to sit here and think, _the Dragon Tamer thought to himself. Down to business, then. No point in wasting any more time. This Red character… there was something about him that just seemed… _off. _As though the mystery Trainer were putting on an elaborate façade, and only just managing to pull it off. Lance's instincts told him that Red was almost certainly _not _who he says he was.

And Lance's instincts were never wrong.

That left the question of _who. _Also _why, _but that could wait until later. There were too many possibilities to consider _why_ this early, too many reasons, too many people. In order to know the motive, one must first know the perpetrator, and Lance did not yet possess that information. Lance had a few hunches in the making, but they were only guesswork. He couldn't proceed without cold, hard evidence.

Which was why he had bothered making this trip. If there was one person who could answer his questions, it would be him.

Dragonite perked up underneath Lance, alerting his Master that they had reached their journey's end. The Kanto Champion nodded, patting his Pokémon's neck once again. The Dragon Type swooped down and flung open his wings, landing smoothly on the bare rocks.

Lance leapt off his tired Pokémon, stretching his cramped legs. "Thank you, brother," he said, returning Dragonite to his Pokéball. The exhausted dragon nodded sleepily as it was reabsorbed into the ball. "Rest well," Lance said to the metallic sphere, receiving a small twitch of the Pokéball in response. The Dragon Tamer grinned, clipping the ball back onto his belt.

Taking a moment's pause to crack his back, Lance frowned at the empty landscape before him. That was odd. They should have sensed him by now. They were never this off-guard. Lance knew that firsthand, and his frown deepened as the seconds stretched into minutes, and still no one appeared to greet him.

Lance scowled, walking forwards anyhow. Maybe they were ignoring him… but they had never done _that _before. He usually barely had time to dismount and return Dragonite before they would appear, bringing smiles and bone-snapping Ursaring hugs. Lance's Instinct began to gnaw at him once again, and with great reluctance the Dragon Master began to allow the possibility.

Something must have happened.

A house appeared, nestled up underneath the shadow of the mountain. It was a fairly normal-sized house, nothing too extravagant, but against the rocky backdrop it nevertheless felt out of place. The door was ajar.

"Hello?" Lance called. "Is anyone there? It's me! Lance!"

_"Is anyone there?" _his echo replied. _"Hello?" _it mocked before fading away. Lance's voice was replaced by the soft whistling of the ocean breeze. Silence.

Lance swore. "Xerneas help the two of you if this is some sort of joke," he announced to the island as he pulled a Pokéball from his belt, approaching the entrance. Slowly, he pushed the door fully open, and his eyes widened at the scene before him.

The house looked as though Tornadus had stopped by to say hello. The usually neat entryway had been all but destroyed. Papers littered the mud-stained floor; desks had been flipped and splintered; there was a damn _hole _where a wall had once stood. It looked like chaos.

It looked like a war zone.

Lance expanded the Pokéball in his hand. His eyes analyzed everything in sight, every single detail, every piece of evidence. He stepped through the hole in the wall into the kitchen. It was no less destroyed as the room before.

Lance's attention zeroed in on a patch of hardwood floor just below the sink. The Dragon Master swallowed, and he could feel his heart start to race and beads of sweat start to break out on his forehead.

The ejected bullet casing rested calmly on the cold floor next to the puddle of blood. Lance all but raced over to the pool, kneeling down and staring at the crimson staining the checkerboard tiles. He dipped a finger in the puddle. Still warm. This had happened not long ago, forty minutes at the most.

The Champion stood, eyes sweeping across the black and white floor for traces of blood. He found one, leading away from the destruction and towards the stairwell. Lance followed it, his knuckles whitening on the Pokéball in his fist.

_Whoosh._

Lance stopped. His eyes narrowed, and his gripped even harder on the Pokéball. He exhaled, closing his eyes and focusing on the sound.

_Swish._

There. His eyes snapped open, and he turned halfway, eyes sweeping across the empty room.

Nothing. Was he imagining it, then?

_No!_ his Instinct screamed as he heard the noise yet again, behind him this time. He whirled around, arm poised to throw.

The Jackal roared and attacked.

* * *

_-Trainer House, Pokémon League Village -_

Max ran a hand through his olive-green hair, eyeing the door with more than a fair amount of trepidation. "Are you _absolutely sure _about this?"

Beside him, Grace rolled her eyes and nodded for what must have been the seventh time that morning. _**Yes, **_**I'm sure. We have to do this, Max. You have to.**

Max stopped staring at the door long enough to glance at his partner. "Can't argue with logic like that," he said, sarcasm dripping onto his chin. He looked wistfully back at the door. "But if you say so…"

**I do. **

"Dangit, Grace, I _know _that! Just let me get ready. Y'know, psych myself up."

**You've been 'psyching yourself up' for the past five minutes. Open the bloody door already.**

Sighing visibly, Max opened the door.

**Now go inside.**

Max went inside.

**Now close the d-**

"I get it, Grace!" Max yelled, glaring at the Embrace Pokémon. "I'm perfectly capable of shutting a door! Now, for the love of Mew, _shut up _for two seconds!"

Grace snickered and stuck her tongue out at Max, who made a subsequent silly-looking face back at her. Max took a step forward, turned around, shut the door, turned again, and continued on. "Not one word, Gardevoir. Not. One. Word."

Grace chuckled quietly behind her Trainer, who grumbled anxiously to himself as the two made their way down the hall, stopping when they finally reached the end of the hallway.

_Of _course_ they would be at the very end of the hall_, Max thought, swallowing hard. _Probably think it makes them more dramatic somehow. Well, it does. So what?_

**So… **Grace said after a moment or two, **are you going to knock, or..?**

The door swung open. Max shot Grace a look, sighed, and entered.

The room was dark. _Of course it was. _An eerie silence filled the dark expanse as Trainer and Pokémon stood in the doorframe, waiting for whatever lay ahead.

The door swung shut.

**"I told you he'd come," **said a voice that spoke both aloud and in Max's mind.

** "I never doubted you, brother, though I'll admit it didn't take as long as I'd expected," **replied a second voice, more feminine and graceful sounding than the last.

** "Indeed." **The lights flickered on, revealing two figures, neither much larger than Max, who grinned at the sight of the Petalburg Trainer.

**Welcome, Max Maple, **said the two voices at once within Max's mind.

"Hello, Tate. Hello, Liza."

* * *

_-Pokémon Center, League Village-_

Misty collapsed into the chair next to Brock, a heavy sigh escaping her lips. "Mornin', guys."

"Good morning, Misty," Brock replied, not looking up from the newspaper he was reading. "Have you eaten yet? The Center's giving away free breakfast until the end of the Tournament."

Misty grunted, resting her head on the table. "Mm-mm."

"Tired, Misty?" asked May, taking a sip from a water bottle.

Misty glanced up, raising an eyebrow at the Coordinator before letting her head fall back onto her arms. "What do you _think?_"

May shrugged.

Misty sighed again and sat up, stretching and yawning. Cracking her back, she looked around the Pokémon Center. "Where's Dawn?"

"Bathroom."

_Figures. _"Max?"

"He and Grace went to see Tate and Liza." Brock turned a page. "Something about learning to be Psychic."

"Tate and Liza? The Mossdeep Twins?"

"The one and only. Er, two and only, rather."

Misty considered this. "Good for him, I guess? Tate and Liza are around his age, aren't they, May?"

May thought for a moment. "Uh… I think so. Let's see. They were eight or so when we saw them with… with Ash… and Max was seven, so yeah," she finished quickly, looking down at her meal. "Same age."

Brock folded his newspaper and stood. "I'm gonna get some more food. The Nurse who's serving is _gorgeous. _Want anything, Misty?"

"Sure. Get me some eggs and a bottle of water, would you?"

"No problem. Be right back," the Pokémon Doctor walked towards the buffet, humming to himself.

Misty looked over at May. "So, what's the plan for today? You and Dawn going shopping again?"

The Hoenn Coordinator shook her head. "Nah. We've... ah… well, the selection here is pretty… _lacking_, I guess you could say." May averted her eyes and glanced at her Pokégear.

"You're broke, aren't you?"

_"What!? _Why would you say something like that? What makes you think that _that's _why we would… well…" May trailed off and grinned mareepishly. "Yeah. We're broke. Me and Dawn have maybe fifty Poké between the two of us."

Misty facepalmed. "May! _Fifty Pok__é? _We've only been here a week! This Tournament won't be over for who knows how long!"

"I know, I know. Chill out, Misty. We'll be fine. We've done worse. Ask her to tell you about the time we were stuck in Goldenrod for two and a half weeks for a Contest. That was brutal. We had the clothes on our backs and the Pokéballs on our belts. That was _it._"

"Ooh, are we talking about Goldenrod?" Dawn asked, sitting down beside May. "Remember that one guy we met in the GTS?"

"You mean the blonde one with the hat?"

"No! The dreamy one!"

"Oh, _him._ Yeah, I remember him. He was _great_."

Misty sighed, shaking her head. "You two are impossible."

Much to the Water Type Trainer's relief, Brock appeared, juggling two plates of food and drink. "Here you go, Misty," he said, placing a plate of hot eggs in front of her, "and your water, too."

"Thanks, Brock." Misty said, taking a bite of the eggs. "Hey, these are pretty good. Do you know what kind of eggs the Nurse used?"

Down nodded. "I think they were Togepi."

_"What!?" _Misty spat out the food and coughed. "That's disgusting! Why would they –" She paused. May, Dawn, and Brock were trying not to laugh.

The key word here being _trying._

"Dawn, that was beautiful," May said between gasps, fist-bumping the Sinnoh Coordinator.

Brock was laughing out loud at Misty's reaction. "You gotta admit, Misty, we got you good. They're only Slowpoke eggs. It's nothing to worry about."

Misty blushed, looking away from the table. "You all are such _assholes. _That was no funny _at all._" Inwardly, though, she was chuckling. They _had _gotten her pretty good. "I just hope you all know that you started this war. It is _so _on."

The four grinned at each other, then parlayed to finish their breakfast.

"You never answered my question," Misty said after a moment. "What _are _we doing today? None of us have battles. Max doesn't, I don't, Red doesn't, heck, not even Forrest."

Dawn grinned. "Well, since you asked, Misty, May and I decided that all of us are..."

Misty preemptively groaned, knowing nothing good could come of this. "Oh Phione, why did I have to ask?" She braced herself for the worst.

_"Ahem." _Dawn cleared her throat. "As I was saying before I was so _rudely _interrupted, we decided that Misty is…"

Misty squeezed her eyes shut. Oh Mew. This couldn't be good.

"…going to take us all to see Red!"

_ "What!? I am doing no such –" _Misty stopped midsentence. Perhaps she had misheard. "Wait. Go see Red? That's it? That's the worst you can come up with?"

Dawn beamed. "Misty, I assure you I have _no _idea what you're talking about. May and I just thought it would be nice of all of us to goo hang out with Red today. I mean, he's our friend, right? Isn't that what friends are for? Besides, it's not like you have anything better to do, _right, _Misty?"

Misty opened her mouth, closed it, opened it again, and closed it again. She sighed. "Right."

Brock chuckled. "Well, that's settled. How about we all go and get ready, then meet back here in half an hour? Dawn, you _can _be ready in half an hour, right?"

Dawn smiled sunnily. "Why, of _course _I can, Brock. I'll see you then."

Misty groaned, standing and making her way back up the stairs. It was all of nine o'clock in the morning, and she knew that today was going to be a long, _long _day.

* * *

-_Trainer House-_

Max waved awkwardly at Tate. "Hey, Tate. Long time no see."

The Psychic grinned. **Yup. Too long.**

"So… I take it the two of you know why I'm here?"

Liza nodded. **Yes. My brother foresaw you coming here to train under us, to learn how to unlock your potential and become Psychic. Was he correct in this?**

"I'm here, aren't I?"

**So he is, Sister. I have seen this much. Will we train him? He is a friend of ours.**

** A friend of yours, perhaps. I am not so easily swayed. I have no reason to accept him as a student.**

** We saw him –**

** Battle? Yes, we saw it. He –**

** Spoke to his Pokémon telepathically. That alone is – **

** Enough to merit our teaching? Perhaps. But how much more is –**

** He capable of? There is only one way to find out, sister.**

The Twins fell silent. Then, they simultaneously turned to look at Max and Grace, who shivered under the weight of their stare.

**He is afraid, **Liza said with disdain. **Fear – **

** Dulls the blade, yes, but also – **

** Heightens the senses. Very well, little brother, you have convinced me.**

Max grinned. "That's great! When do we –" Liza raised an eyebrow, and his mouth stopped moving. Max tried to open his jaw, but it held fast, as though it had been glued shut. "Mmph!"

**Be silent, Max Maple. You have not convinced me of anything yet. My brother has vouched for your potential as a Psychic, but I am less sure. He has earned you the right to prove yourself to us. **

Max tried to talk again, but his mouth was still held shut by an invisible force. **Wh… what do I have to do?**

Liza seemed surprised when he spoke. **Perhaps you were right, little brother.**

Tate grinned, giving Max a small thumbs-up.** Are you ready, Grace? **He asked, looking to the Embrace Pokémon.

**For what? **

** You must prove yourself as well, Gardevoir. A Pokémon is only as strong as her master, and a master is only as strong as his Pokémon. I ask again: Are you ready?**

Grace took Max's hand in hers and nodded. **I was hatched ready.**

** And you, Maple?**

Max nodded. **Let's do this.**

Liza and Tate locked eyes. A sly grin spread across the Twin's faces. They looked to Max and Grace and both raised an arm. **Then let us begin.**

An overwhelming force slammed into Max and Grace, sending the two flying back into the wall. The Gym Leaders' eyes glowed deep violet, and they laughed. **May the best win.**

* * *

_-Indigo Plateau-_

"Now, Eve! Ice Beam!" Ash called, ducking underneath the kick and lashing out with an open palm.

**Flamethrower! **Athena ordered, spinning to the left to avoid the blow. She leapt up and over Ash, spinning into an axe kick aimed straight for his head.

"_Eon!" _the Eeveelution cried, charging a sphere of ice on her lips. Running forward, she leapt into the air and released the attack skyward.

_"Mance!" _Spectre countered, letting fire pour from his maw, melting the supereffective beam of cold into a mere puddle of water.

Ash dropped to the earth, dodging the kick by inches. He waited for Athena to land, then spun his body and kicked the Lucario's feet out from underneath her. He pounced as she fell, grabbing her shoulder with one hand, pinning her to the earth, and using the other to gather Aura into a sphere that he held next to her face. "Yield," he gasped, sweat pouring from his brow.

Nearby, Jessie looked on, chewing thoughtfully on a sandwich. "James, remind me sometime to ask Ash to teach us how to fight like that."

"Jessie, you should ask Ash to teach the two of us how to fight like that sometime." James replied instantly, not taking his eyes off the two Aura Users.

_"Pi, pikachu Pikapi chu Chukapi chuka pi pika pi pichu," _Pikachu said, looking over at the two ex-Rockets.

"Persian?" Jessie asked.

"Pikachu says dat dis ain't even close to da Twerp's and Atena's full power. Dey're jus' sparrin' now, puttin' on a show," the Classy Cat translated, flicking his tail back and forth.

"Oh really?" Jessie glanced over at her own Pokémon. "Hear that, guys? We need to do some catching up."

"I'll say."

**Yield!**

Athena's command brought everyone's attention back to the battle. The Aura Pokémon had Ash pinned against a boulder, one arm twisted behind his back, the other held at his side. **Don't make me say it again, Ash! Yield!**

"Never!" Ash yelled, kicking at Athena's legs. "Eve! Blizzard!"

_"Vaporeon!" _Eve shouted, her body glowing pale blue. The temperature of the clearing dropped several degrees as an icy wind was released from her body, forming great crystals of ice that flew in all directions.

**Spectre! Use – gah! **Athena dropped Ash, bringing both arms up to protect her face form the biting cold. Seizing the moment, Ash grabbed the Aura Pokémon's wrists and forced her to the ground, bringing a knee up to her stomach and pinning her down.

"Yield!"

Athena struggled underneath her Trainer, but to no avail. She could hardly move. She sighed. **I yield. **

"Yes!" Ash released his Pokémon, jumping up and pumping his fist in the air. "Victory is mine!"

**You cheated, **Athena grumbled, standing and dusting herself off.

"Did not."

**Did so. Eve attacked me.**

"Umm, nope. Eve attacked _Spectre, _which had the unfortunate consequence of affecting you as well. It was a happy, though _entirely _unexpected, coincidence."

**You do realize I can tell when you're lying, right?**

"Yeah, I know." Ash grinned at the ex-Rockets. He opened his mouth to say something, but suddenly his head snapped to the left. "Did you feel that?" He asked Athena, who nodded and ducked into a defensive stance.

**Yeah. I count three… no, four humans and their Pokémon.**

"Feels about right. Soul, Pikachu, defensive positions."

The Electric Mouse sprang to his feet and raced towards Ash, stopping about fifteen or so feet in front of him. His cheeks sparked aggressively as Soul joined the Electric Type a moment later.

"Ash?" Jessie asked, a little nervously, "what's going on?"

"Intruders. Four of them, about a hundred yards away…" Ash's brow furrowed. "Hold on. Athena, are they who I think they are?"

The Aura Pokémon closed her eyes. **… Yeah, that's them. **

Ash visibly relaxed. "It's okay, guys. False alarm. Stand down, it's Misty and the gang." He paused. "Oh, crap! It's Misty and the gang!" He spun on his heel and all but flew towards his backpack, propped up against a nearby tree, and fished out the black cloak he had discarded for the training session. Throwing it on, he turned to James and Jessie. "Remember, you guys: I'm Red. Not. Ash. You haven't seen him in years, got it?"

The ex-Rockets nodded. "You haven't told them yet?" James asked.

Ash – er, that is, Red – shook his head. "Not yet. I'm waiting until the top 32. There's gonna be an interview of all the Trainers who make it that far, and I'm gonna do this big reveal thing, and –"

**Master, they'll be here in five seconds.**

Ash nodded. "Right. Gotcha." He took a deep breath, and slowly let it out. "Okay. I'm Red. Got it."

Persian raised an eyebrow at Ash. "Is he always like dis before he talks ta da Twerps?" he asked Athena.

She shook her head. **Nah. He's usually a lot more relaxed. They just caught him off guard and out of character. Give him a second, he'll be fine. Probably.**

* * *

_**-**__Indigo Plateau-_

Misty turned back to the others, pointing at a clearing not far ahead. "We're nearly there, guys. Just a few more feet."

"Thank Palkia," Dawn complained. "My feet are killing me."

"What?" Brock glanced sidelong at the Sinnoh Coordinator. "We've been walking for all of an hour and a half. This is nothing. Remember that time when we walked across, I dunno, the entire Sinnoh region?"

May snickered. "He's got you there, Dawn. Once you've legged it across an entire region, you can't really complain about a little walk like this."

Misty grinned as Dawn gave May a look of betrayal. "C'mon, Dawn. We will literally be there in five seconds. See? Five."

"Okay, I get it! Don't patronize me, Misty!"

"Four."

Brock held back a laugh and joined in. "Three."

It was May's turn now. "Two."

"One."

Everyone jumped at the voice that finished the countdown, coming from the center of the clearing. They looked and saw the hooded figure of Red, grinning and waving hello at the four of them. Pikachu was perched on his shoulder, and Athena stood beside him, talking to a nearby Persian.

"Right on schedule. Nice timin', Atena," said the Classy Cat Pokémon.

**Thanks.**

"Hello everyone," Red said, approaching the group. "Misty, Brock, May, Dawn. What brings you all the way out here?"

Dawn was the first to speak up. "Oh, it's not that far a walk, Red. None of us had any battles today, so we all thought it would be nice to drop by and say hello."

Red nodded. "Cool. So where's Max?"

"He's at the Trainer House with the Mossdeep Twins. He took your advice and went to ask them about becoming a Psychic," Brock answered, his gaze sweeping over the clearing before landing on Jessie and James. "Hey! What're they doing here!?"

Red cocked his head to one side. "Hmm? Oh, you mean Jessie, James, and Persian? You've met, then?" He asked, suppressing a grin.

"Met them?" May cried, reaching for a Pokéball on her belt, "They stalked us all over the world!"

"I wouldn't say that," James said, standing and stretching. "We never followed any of _you_ specifically. We were just following your little friend and his Pikachu. What was his name again? Ace? Ass?"

"Why, you-!" Misty grabbed a Pokéball of her own, as did Dawn and Brock.

Red shot James a look, trying to contain a snicker. "All of you calm down. There's no need for fighting. Misty, May, Dawn, Brock, I don't care what happened in the past; so long as you're here, you'll treat Jessie, James, and Persian with respect. They've given up crime and atoned for their sins. They bear none of you any ill will; I'll vouch for that. Right, guys?"

Jessie nodded, elbowing her partner. "Of course, Red. We've nothing against you Twerps."

Red shook his head. "Alright. Good." He turned to his Pokémon. "Change of plan, guys: no more training today. You all can go do whatever." He pursed his lips, turning back to the group, "Y'know, you all should release your Pokémon too. It's a nice day, let them out of there balls, let 'em stretch their legs. You too, Jessie, James."

Reluctantly, everyone accepted. How could they not? Soon the clearing was cluttered with Pokémon of all shapes and sizes. Red grinned, seeing all the familiar faces, and began to introduce his own Pokémon to them. "Guys, come on over here, say hi."

Eve, predictably enough, was the first to answer Red's summons, all but racing towards the group and babbling excitedly at her new friends. Soul followed afterward, not as outgoing as the Vaporeon – the Fire Type was more wary and reserved – then came Spectre, who locked eyes with Gyarados and grinned a feral smile. Athena hung back, staying at Red's side, taking in the new appearances, studying them, mentally analyzing their strengths and weaknesses. Pikachu stayed perched on his friend's shoulder, sharing the Trainer's grin at seeing all their old partners.

"It's been too long, hasn't it, Pi?" Red sighed, taking a step back and observing his friends.

_"Pi, pikachu," _the Electric Mouse agreed, sprawling out atop his hood.

"Yeah." The two watched on in silence for a moment as the Pokémon and Trainers mingled. "We'll tell them soon enough. They'll understand, right? We'd understand, wouldn't we?"

Pikachu didn't reply. Red crossed his arms and nodded, watching the people and Pokémon.

* * *

_-Sinnoh- _

Lance leapt backwards, narrowly dodging the Lucario's attack. "Lucario! Is that you? Thank Arceus you're alright! Where's R-"

The Aura Pokémon launched into another attack, pulling back a fist that glowed deep blue. **Get out!** It roared, rushing the Dragon Master. **Leave us!**

Lance took another step backwards, tripping over an overturned desk and falling to the floor. "Lucario? What are you doing!? It's me! Lan-"

The Lucario silenced Lance by grabbing the Kanto Champion by his shirt and throwing him across the room. Lance crashed into and through the sheetrock wall, landing heavily on the other side. "Lucario!" He gasped, climbing to his feet. "Stop! I'm here to help!"

**Lies! Treachery! **The Aura Pokémon would not be sated. Lucario seethed with unkempt rage, clapping his hands together and forming a deadly sphere of Aura.

Lance swore. "Flygon! Help me!" He cried, tossing the Pokéball at the floor, where it exploded in a flash of light. The Mystic Pokémon appeared, looking curiously at the destroyed house and tilting its head at Lucario.

"_Flygon fly?" _it asked curiously.

"Fly! There's something wrong with Lucario! I need your help calming him down!" Lance cried, pointing at the Aura Pokémon. "Dragonbreath!"

"_Gon flygon!" _ the Desert Dragon replied, releasing a stream of blue flame at Lucario without hesitation.

Lucario roared, releasing the Aura Sphere and diving to one side to avoid the attack.

"Dodge, then Flamethrower!" Lance commanded, gritting his teeth. With any luck, defeating Lucario would bring the Pokémon back to his senses, and would lead them to his wounded Master.

Flygon chirped an affirmative, rolling away from the attack and letting another plume of fire, burning bright red this time, pour from his lips. The flame snaked towards Lucario, knocking the Pokémon to the ground and setting its fur alight.

"Finish him with Dragon Tail!"

The Mystic Pokémon sped towards Lucario and spun, slamming his purple tail into the Aura Pokémon. Lucario landed in the rubble of a destroyed desk, his blue fur smoking.

Flygon winced and returned to his master, who patted his neck. "Good job, Fly," he murmured, returning the Dragon to its Pokéball.

Cautiously, Lance approached the downed Pokémon, pulling a small syringe from a pocket in his coat. Grabbing the Aura Pokémon's arm, he stabbed the needle into its shoulder and pressed down on the plunger, wincing as he did so. Lance didn't much care for needles, but he'd hadn't the foresight to pack any standard medicine, so this would have to do for now.

Lance sighed, standing up and wiping dust off his pants. It would take a good few minutes for the Revive to kick in; time the detective wasn't planning on wasting. There was something very wrong going on here, and he was going to get to the bottom of it.

* * *

_-Trainer House-_

Max fell to the floor, all the air leaving his body in a great gust that left his gasping for breath on the cold hardwood. Colors flashed before his eyes, purple and pink, and something like static sounded in his ears. Grace fared no better, sliding down the wall, her eyes open wide and her mouth a perfect circle.

Max tried to crawl to his feet, but an invisible weight slammed down on him from above, pinning him to the ground.

**I told you, brother. **Max could feel Liza rolling her eyes. **He is not worth our time.**

** Come on, Max! **Tate urged, ignoring his sister. **You can do this.**

Max grit his teeth, struggling under the psychic pressure. "G-grace." he winced, forcing his neck to turn and look at his Pokémon. Her eyelids flutter, and she, too, wrestled against their invisible captor.

**Max, **Grace said, locking eyes with her Trainer, **we can do this. We need to focus.**

Max nodded, squeezing his eyes shut and concentrating. He pushed back at the weight around them, and slowly the pressure began to recede. With shaking hands he climbed to his knees, his head pounding.

**I told you, sister.**

Liza growled. **I'll concede he is stronger than I assumed. That does **_**not **_**mean that I was wrong. We have shown but a fraction of our true power. **Her eyes flashed brighter, and the weight doubled, forcing Max down again.

Grace swore. By the Lakes, these two were strong. _But we're stronger, _she told herself. The Embrace Pokémon closed her eyes, seeing the room in her Mind's Eye. The Mossdeep duo shone with invisible light, their auras radiating Psychic energy, Her own Psyche glowed alongside Max's, but nowhere near as brightly as the combined Gym Leaders'.

_Combined. _**Max! **She pressed back against the energy, slowly floating towards him. **Give me your hand!**

Max's eyes narrowed, but he didn't argue, grasping the outstretched palm and squeezing onto it.

Across the room, Tate's eyes narrowed. **What are they – **

** Stop her!** Liza yelled.

Max gasped as he felt the pressure ease around him. "Wh-what are you doing?"

**Helping Hand,** Grace intoned, her eyes flashing white. **I'm combining our psychic energy. Now, use Psychic! **She commanded, flinging out an arm.

Max watched his arm move, stretching out as though of its own accord. He was suddenly aware that his body shone with a multicolored light, and felt himself growing stronger. He squeezed a little tighter on Grace's hand and pushed out with his mind, beating back the pressure.

Liza's mouth opened slightly. **No way – **

** I told you, sis. **Tate managed a grin. **But let's finish this first, yeah?**

Liza nodded, retracting her arm and placing her hand to her temple. **"Imprison!" **She yelled.

**No! **A wave of energy rippled around Grace, crawling up and down her body. The barely visible attack solidified around the Embrace Pokémon, and Max could feel her energy draining. _"Devoir!" _She cried, shaking as she did so.

"What did you do to h-_uff_!" Max gasped as Tate rushed in, slamming his head into Max's stomach.

**Imprison, **Liza repeated, flicking her wrist. Max slammed into the ground as Psychic energy pushed on him once more. **A move that prevents an opponent from performing any move known by the user. A high-level Psychic such as myself can use this to completely mask one's Psyche, rendering them all but useless. I've effectively taken Grace's Psychic powers away from her.**

"Well," Max wheezed, barely able to breathe, let alone speak, under the immense pressure, "give them back!"

Liza laughed. **Not yet, I'm afraid. **

Tate looked uneasy. **C'mon, sis. We won already. Let her go.**

** I think not. **Liza made a fist and opened it. Grace crumpled, joining Max on the floor. **Consider this a first lesson, Max Maple. Being a Psychic is no easy task. Only a select few have what it takes to unlock their full potential. This is but a taste of the true potential of a fully realized Psychic. There are those who could literally rip you apart without so much as batting an eye. **Liza gestured with her hand, and Grace rose up into the air as though snatched by a hungry Tyranitar.

"Let... her... go," Max demanded, pushing himself upwards.

Tate looked from Max to his sister, to Max again. "Liza," he said aloud.

**Come now, brother. Our apprentice will have to learn this someday. It might as well be now.**

"At least let the two of them go!"

**Brother, you are being foolish. But as you wish.** Liza snapped her fingers, and the energy receded. Grace was lowered back down to the floor, where she massaged her aching temples.

"You okay, Grace?" Max asked, breathing heavily as the pressure subsided.

**I am all right. The block was only temporary. **

"You're sure?"

"Max, it's okay. Imprison only lasts a few minutes, maximum. Grace will be perfectly fine," Tate said, helping him up and patting him on the back. "Sorry 'bout the Zen Headbutt, by the way."

"Is that what that was? But, that's a Pokémon move!"

**Imprison isn't? Or Psychic? **Liza queried. **That's the idea a lot of people seem to have about the way Pokémon battle and how it corresponds to humans. Tell me, Maple, where did humans first learn to fight? And I don't mean Pokémon battles. Those came much later.**

Max cocked his head. "I don't know. We just kinda, figured it out, I guess."

**Wrong. We learned from Pokémon. **

"From Pokémon?"

Tate nodded. **It makes sense, if you think about it. Why else would martial artists share similar techniques and fighting styles as the Pokémon they train?**

Max nodded slowly. "Because they – I mean, we – learned from them?"

**Precisely. **

Grace glanced at Max. **Is it really all that difficult to believe? Remember Red's explanation?**

** Red?** Tate asked.

"Yeah. Me and Misty went and talked to him before my match. Did you know he's an Aura User?"

The Mossdeep twins shared a glance. **Really? **They said.

"Yeah. He's the one who told me I was Psychic, though I didn't really believe him 'till my battle with the girl from Olivine. But hey, he was right!"

Grace rolled her eyes. **So what happens now? You will train us, yes?**

The twins nodded. **Of course. You have – **

** Shone great promise, the both of you. We –**

** Hereby accept you as our students, and will – **

** Do all we can to learn you in –**

** The ways of the Psychic, as we ourselves –**

** Learned under our own teacher. Max Maple –**

** Grace – **

** You are now Psychics.**

* * *

_-Indigo Plateau-_

_"Mance salamence!" _Spectre slammed his forelegs into the earth, kicking up dust and shaking the ground.

_ "Gyaaaar!" _Gyarados retorted, baring his fangs .

"Oh, great. This again." Red crossed his arms.

"You're telling me," Misty agreed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"There's a lake not two minutes away from here. It's fairly deep; more than enough for Gyarados," Red suggested, quirking an eyebrow at the Dragon. "Much as I'd love to have my campsite destroyed, it wouldn't be a fair fight otherwise."

"You'd be surprised."

"I very much doubt that, Ms. Waterflower. I haven't made it this far by underestimating people's abilities."

"Fair enough. Gyarados, return!" Misty gestured for Red to lead the way, tucking the Pokéball into her pouch. The two, accompanied by Athena and Spectre, vanished into the trees.

There was an odd moment of silence. "Wait... what just happened?" Dawn sweatdropped.

"I _tink _A – er, Red an' Misty are gonna battle wit' Gyarados an' Spectre," Persian answered, scratching the back of his head with a paw.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Brock asked. "I want to see this!" Pikachu waved for him to follow, and took off into the trees after Red, Brock and the rest of the gang right on his heels.

"This battle is between Misty Waterflower of Cerulean City and Red of the Kanto Region!" Brock announced, waving two flags he'd gotten from his bag for just such an occasion. "This will be a one-on-one single battle with no substitutions and no time limit! Trainers, are you ready?"

"Let's do this!" they replied together.

"Alrighty then," Brock grinned. "May, you got that Vs. Recorder running?"

"I got it!" She replied from somewhere behind him. "Max's going to be sorry he missed this!"

"Trainers ready! Begin!"

"Bring the rain, Gyarados!" Misty called, hurling the Pokéball into the lake.

"Ride the wind, Spectre!" Red answered, pointing out towards the water.

_"GYAAAAAAAR!"_ Gyarados roared, erupting out from his Pokéball.

_"MAAAAAANCE!" _Spectre replied, spreading his wings and taking to the sky.

"Dragon Dance!" Misty ordered.

"Aerial Ace!"

Gyarados became engulfed in blue light as it twirled back and forth in an elegant and powerful dance, his speed and strength rising dramatically with every passing second.

Salamence looped around in the sky, shining silver as his scales sharpened. He soared towards Gyarados, a savage grin on his lips. The Dragon Pokémon extending his wings as he flew by Gyarados, his wings meeting the Sea Serpent's scales with a metallic _hiss._

"Ice Fang!" Misty called.

"Thunder Fang!" Red countered.

The two Dragons dove for each other, jaws opened wide. One crackled with electricity, the other with searing cold. The enemies found each other and latched on, pumping the other full of the respective attack's element.

Dawn blanched. "This is... intense," she whispered.

"No kidding. I've never seen Misty battle this hard."

"I don't think it's just Misty though. Look at Red. He's so focused. He wasn't like this two minutes ago. I think this is the first real battle he's had this whole tournament."

"Fly, Spectre!"

"Oh no you don't! Ice Beam!"

Spectre released the Sea Serpent and shot upwards, climbing higher and higher. Gyarados fired off and Ice Beam, but the Dragon Pokémon dodged it easily, flipping in midair and begin his descent.

Misty grit her teeth. "Hold, Gyar!"

The Atrocious Pokémon nodded its serpentine head, waiting as Spectre drew closer... closer...

"Dive!"

_"Gyaar!" _It cried, diving headfirst into the water.

"Spectre, pull up!" Red yelled, his eyes wide. The Dragon Pokémon angled his wings, trying to ease up before it was too late, but he was going too steep too fast and smacked heavily into the water.

"Now!"

With a roar, Gyarados arose from the lake, head-butting Spectre square in the chest and sending him skipping across the lake.

"Finish this, Gyarados!" Misty commanded, throwing out an arm. "Hyper Beam!"

_"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!" _The Sea Serpent roared, charging a sphere of golden light in his mouth. The beam of energy shot towards the prone Dragon and exploded in a flash of brilliant light. A shockwave ripped through the forest, and a nearby tree cracked and toppled.

In the middle of the smoking crater, Spectre stood, breathing heavily, his eyes shining crimson.

_"What!?" _Misty cried. "How on earth is he still standing?"

Red didn't reply, merely grinning and giving a thumbs-up to his Pokémon. "Double-Edge!"

Spectre nodded, taking to the sky once more. His body began to glow golden.

"Gyarados! Get out of there! Use Ice Beam!"

The Sea Serpent opened his mouth, but nothing came out save a few flakes of snow. The Hyper Beam had drained his energy, and he needed to recharge.

Spectre let out a roar of his own and shot towards the exposed Gyarados, radiating light as he flew. Then, with a sound like a clap of thunder, the two collided.

Gyarados and Spectre both fell, unconscious.

Brock shut his open mouth and raised both his flags. "Both Pokémon are unable to battle! This math is declared a draw!"

* * *

_-Sinnoh Region-_

Lucario woke to pain. His chest felt like it was on fire, and his shoulder felt as though he had decided to dip it in lava. He winced, rubbing the aching limb. What on earth..?

"So you're awake," came a voice. Lucario's head whipped around, taking in the intimidating man in a black leather trenchcoat. "Long time no see, Lucario."

**Lance?**

* * *

_**Aaaand done. Finally. This chapter took me ages to work out. But then, you already knew that, didn't you? **_

_** Sorry for the delay, blah, blah, blah, etc., etc. Thanks to Effina Solaris, who finally shot me a PM telling me to get off my lazy butt and write. Well, not in so many words, of course, but you get the picture. **_

_** I tried something new format-wise this time around, but I'm not exactly sure if I like it. Tell me what you guys think. Also, I should note that we're finally getting somewhere plot-wise, thank Arceus. Only took us nine bloody chapters. So there's that, too. **_

_** Writers are like cats. They only come around every so often, always looking for attention, and you'd better hope to god they don't walk in whenever you're doing something important because they will walk over to you and sit on your keyboard until you review their stories.**_

_** See you next time,**_

_** -Wolverinejoe**_


	10. First-Name Basis

_-Indigo Plateau- _

Red smiled, walking over to his Pokémon. "Nice job, Spectre," he said, patting the downed dragon's neck. "You did great." He put a hand in the pocket of his cloak and frowned. "Huh. I could've sworn I'd brought some potions with me." He shrugged. "Sorry, bud, but I'm gonna put you back in your ball for now. We're running low on medicine."

Spectre groaned. Red sighed. "I know, I know. I'll make it up to you sometime. But for now, rest up, okay?" Unclipping a Pokéball from the magnetic clip on his belt, Red tapped the ball once to expand it and again to recall the dragon. A red beam of light shot out from the release button, enveloping and absorbing Spectre. Wincing, Red minimized the Pokéball and reattached it to his belt, reminding himself to make more medicine as soon as possible.

May stopped recording, sending the video to her Pokégear before placing it back in her backpack. "Maxy is going to be so mad he wasn't here," she said, eliciting a chuckle from Dawn and Brock.

Misty placed Gyarados's Pokéball back in the pouch on her thigh, approaching the group. "Hey, that was a great battle, Red," she said, holding out a hand.

Red nodded, accepting the proffered hand and shaking it. "Likewise. That was without a doubt the best battle we've had in months."

"Same here. We should battle again sometime."

"Definitely."

Dawn smirked. "Oh, will you two just kiss already?" she asked, giggling.

Misty and Red both froze, adopting impeccable Sawsbuck-in-the-headlights expressions. They both blushed a brilliant shade of red that would not be out of place alongside a Rapidash mane.

"That's-"

"We-"

"He's not-"

"I'm not-"

"We aren't-"

"BWAHAHAHA!" The forest erupted in a peal of laughter. Red and Misty flinched as Dawn and May both fell to the ground clutching their stomachs. Brock tried and failed to keep a straight face, putting a hand over his mouth to hide his grin.

Dawn wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. "C'mon, you two, we were just teasing."

Red raised an eyebrow. "Athena?"

**Yes, Master?**

"Could you go find Soul for me?"

**Of course.**

Misty glanced at Red. Seeing the small grin beginning to spread across his face, Misty nodded, reaching into her pouch and selecting a Pokéball.

May and Dawn slowly climbed to their feet, still giggling. Their laughter died off as they saw Red and Misty grinning evilly at the two Pokémon Coordinators.

"May?"

"Heh- yeah, Misty?"

"You may want to start running."

* * *

_-Iron Island, Sinnoh Region-_

"Good, you're awake." Lance offered a hand to the prone Lucario, who accepted it, his eyes narrowed in confusion.

**Lance? What – what happened?**

The Champion raised an eyebrow. "I might ask you the same question, Lucario. What happened here?" he asked, crossing his arms.

The Aura Pokémon flinched. **We... we were attacked! Out of nowhere, dozens of them! They tried to take Master! Then... **His eyes flashed red. The black appendages on his head splayed outwards, surrounding Lucario in blue aura. **They tried to kill him!** He roared, aura streaming off his shoulders like flames. **The bastards shot Riley!**

Lance took a step back. "Lucario..." he began, reaching for a Pokéball.

Lucario took a deep breath and closed his eyes. **I... sorry,** he said as the aura slowly faded away. **I didn't mean to lose control like that.**

"It's alright." Lance relaxed, breathing a sigh of relief. "So where is he?"

**The Ruins. Deep. That's where we were when we were attacked. They left after they shot Riley. I came back here to find medicine or get help.**

"Well, you found it." Lance looked up past the cabin to the entrance to the mine. He paused, pursing his lips. "Lucario. You keep saying 'they' tried to take Riley. 'They' tried to kill him. Who is 'they'?"

Lucario growled, storming past Lance and beginning the trek towards the ruins. **Team Rocket.**

* * *

_**-**__Indigo Plateau-_

The sun was shining bright on the forests surrounding the Pokémon League Village. It was a beautiful day, without so much as a single cloud to be seen in the cerulean sky. A cool breeze blew down from the mountains to the east, laughing as it raced through the trees. Pokémon of all shapes and sizes lounged in the calming noontime air, enjoying the day. It was the epitome of contentedness and relaxation.

In a word? Peaceful.

"DAWN, RUN!" May shouted, vaulting over a decaying log with surprising litheness.

"GEE, YOU THINK!?" The blue-haired Coordinator replied between gasps for air, crashing through a knot of vines and branches. She spared a glance over her shoulder, her face paling. "SHIT, MAY, _THEY'RE RIGHT BEHIND US!"_

"Soul, Incinerate!"

"Golduck, Water Gun!"

The two Pokémon complied instantly, firing off their respective attacks. A spiral of fire centered around a stream of water came rushing towards the two Coordinators, who shrieked and dove to either side, narrowly avoiding the elemental assaults.

Behind their Pokémon, Red and Misty slowed, allowing their targets to climb to their feet and continue running. "Think they've had enough?" Red asked conversationally.

Misty's lips quirked into a predatory grin. "Not nearly," she replied, sprinting off after the Coordinators. Red sweatdropped, pausing to raise an eyebrow at Golduck, who shrugged and raced after his Trainer.

**Remind me to never get on Waterflower's bad side, **said Athena from somewhere behind him.

**Ditto, **Red replied, taking off after Misty.

May made a mental note to never, _ever _poke fun at Misty like this _ever again _if she valued her life. Red, too, for that matter.

_Thank Arceus for that Pokéathlon training, _she thought, ducking under a low-lying branch that would've otherwise smacked her right in the face. Racing past a confused-looking Nidorino, the Hoenn native's gaze locked onto a bushel of Oran berries. "Dawn!" she gasped. "Through there!"

The blunette needed no further instruction, diving headfirst into the bush. In any other instance, it would have been extremely comical, but May had other things on her mind as she all but tackled her friend, joining her in the impromptu hiding spot.

Survival, namely.

A silent minute passed as the two girls struggled to regain their breath. "I think..." Dawn began, sucking in air, "we lost 'em."

"Thank _Manaphy," _May replied, lying facedown in the soil. "By the way, if you ever feel the need to... piss off Red and Misty like that again... leave me the _hell _out of it."

Dawn smiled weakly. "Nah. I don't have a death wish."

"Heh. Could've fooled me."

The snap of a nearby twig forced the Coordinators out of their musings. They froze, withdrawing further into the bushes, whirling to face the source of the sound.

The black and white Pokémon regarded May and Dawn calmly, an air of quiet power emanating from it. Though it did not move outwardly, standing still as a statue, its crimson eyes bored into the Coordinators', as though trying to warn them. A stray breeze ruffled the Pokémon's pristine fur.

"C'mon, Mist! This way! They're right over –" Red stopped midsentence when he saw the Disaster Pokémon before him. "You."

The single word was uttered without malice or spite, without pleasure or satisfaction. And yet it spoke volumes. If anything, the solitary syllable held something that could have been perhaps akin to fear within it. And that scared May. In the short time she'd known Red, he had shown himself to be an incredibly powerful Trainer. So what was this that could render him all but speechless? A shiver ran down her spine as the implications arose.

The Absol moved, taking a step towards Red. The dark oval and sickle-shaped horn adorning the Pokémon's forehead flashed white.

Red stiffened, his eyes goingwide.

"Hey!" Dawn cried, leaping out from the bush she and May were hiding in. "Leave our friend alone!" she commanded, running towards the Disaster Pokémon.

The Absol shot Dawn a cold glance. The Coordinator froze in her tracks as the world shifted around her. Her vision swam. Images flashed before her, dark and confusing. She saw buildings burning, lightning cracking the sky overhead. She felt rather than saw the earth tremble. A man wreathed in shadow. A blood-stained Persian at his heels, yellowed fangs glinting. A body, broken, in the center of what was once a stadium.

"-wn! Dawn! Wake up!"

The Coordinator started, a cold shiver running up and down her body. "I'm alright..." she whispered, staring at the Disaster Pokémon, who had returned its attention to Red.

_"Sol."_

Red growled. "Don't give me that! I know you know more than what you're showing me. What is Team..." he glanced at May and Dawn and lowered his voice. "What are they planning?"

_"Absol." _

Red sighed, rubbing his temples. "Alright." He sucked in a deep breath and blew it out between his teeth. He paused for a second, considering his words. "I appreciate you doing this."

_"Sol." _

"Yeah, yeah. Have you reconsidered my offer? That still stands, you know. We'd be more than happy for you to join the team."

_"Sol."_

Red sighed again, drooping his shoulders. He suddenly seemed extremely tired. "I figured as much. Will you be sticking around the Plateau?"

The Absol nodded. _"Absol sol," _it said finally, turning to leave. Giving the Coordinators one last glance, the Disaster Pokémon padded off silently, disappearing into the forests.

"Is that Absol a friend of yours?" May asked after a moment or two.

Red shrugged. "Kind of. He comes and goes. He tries to warn me whenever something bad is going to happen, but..." the Trainer trailed off. "Nevermind. No need to worry," he finished, flashing Dawn a small smile. "C'mon, let's go find everyone else. I dunno about the two of you guys, but I'm getting hungry." With that, he spun on his heel and strode into the trees.

Dawn and May shared a look. "The Absol showed you something, didn't he?" The Hoenn native asked.

Dawn nodded solemnly. "Something big is going to happen. Something huge. It's going to happen soon. And May?"

"Yeah, Dawn?"

"It's not going to be pretty."

* * *

_-Iron Island-_

**It's not too far now, **Lucario warned, starting to walk faster. **I don't know what kind of condition he's in now, but he was in a lot of pain when I left.**

Lance nodded, glancing around the caves. "There, uh, aren't any wild Pokémon down here, are they?"

Lucario managed a grin. **Not this far down. Most of them fled when Team Rocket attacked, anyway.**

"Right."

**We're here.**

Indeed they were. The cave system they'd been following opened up into a massive natural cavern. Large crystals were interspersed throughout the hollow, glowing with an inner light that illuminated the rocks around them. Smaller formations dotted the underground as well, shining a dull blue.

"Time flowers?" Lance asked, surprised.

Lucario nodded. **It's the main reason Riley and I decided to train here. These were the first Time Flowers we'd seen outside the Tree of Beginning.**

"You've been there?"

**Of course. It's where Riley and I first became Aura Guardians.**

"Speaking of which..." Lance replied, trailing off as he saw a body propped up against a large crystal. "Is that..?"

"Well... if it isn't the Dragon Mater himself..." said the body, craning its neck to look up at him. "Hello, Lance. Long time... no see."

Lance smiled. "Riley."

To say Riley looked bad would be a bit of an understatement. His trademarked blue coat was ripped in several places and stained red with blood. His hat was lying on the ground next to him, revealing his disheveled and unkempt hair. His face was pale. He clutched a hand against his stomach and smiled weakly up at the Champion. "So," he said. "How are things?"

Lance's lips quirked. "Oh, you know. Champion of Kanto and Johto. Same old, same old. What about you? How've you been doing?"

"I've been shot, you moron," the Aura Guardian deadpanned. "How do you think I'm doing?"

Lance cracked a grin. "I wouldn't know."

"That is utter Buoffalant shit, and we both know it," Riley shot back, laughing. He winced, pressing his hand tighter to his stomach. "Damn... In all seriousness, though... If you've got anything for bullet wounds in that stupid trenchcoat of yours, by all means use it now."

Lance nodded, kneeling down next to his friend and rifling through his pockets. "I brought some Energy Powder with me. That should help stop the bleeding."

**Do you have anything for pain? **Lucario asked, keeping watch at the entrance of the cave.

"Uh... No. I didn't bring much... Oh!" Lance snapped his fingers, snatching a Pokéball from his belt. "Altaria, come on out!"

The cloud-shaped Dragon appeared in a flash of red light. "_Taria?" _it cooed.

"Taria, I need you to use Heal Bell on Riley here," Lance commanded.

_"Altaria~!" _the Humming Pokémon sang, eager to please the Dragon Tamer. The Dragon opened its fluffy wings and enveloped the injured Aura Guardian in a warm embrace. Altaria's body glowed a soft blue, and she began to hum; a soft, lilting tune that resonated through the ruins. A bell chimed.

Slowly, Altaria unwrapped her wings, lying Riley on the cavern floor and taking a step back. _"Taria," _she said softly.

"Thanks, Taria." Lance smiled at his Pokémon before returning his attention to his friend. "That better?" he asked.

"Much," Riley answered, closing his eyes. "Your Pokémon is something special."

"All Pokémon are," Lance replied, uncapping the bottle of Energy Powder. "Here. Eat some of this."

"Can you eat a powder?" the Sinnoh native pondered, accepting the bottle and pouring a healthy amount of the herbal medicine into his mouth.

Lance rolled his eyes. "Ingest it then. Swallow. Consume."

Riley grimaced at the bitter taste, swallowing several times to get all the powder down. He coughed. "Ugh."

"I know it tastes like crap, but it'll get you on your feet until we can get you to a hospital," Lance slipped Riley's arm over his shoulder, helping him to his feet. "C'mon. Salamence can get us to Eterna City within the hour."

Riley nodded. "Right."

Slowly, the group made their way through the ruins, Lucario leading the way and Altaria bringing up the rear. The trek through the caves was slow-going and uneventful.

"Say, Lance," Riley said after a few minutes' silence, "what were you doing on Iron Island in the first place? Aren't you supposed to be at Indigo?"

Lance nodded. "Yeah. Cynthia's holding down the fort 'til I get back, though. The World Tournament can survive a day or two without me."

"Right, the Tournament. I'd forgotten about that."

"I was surprised you didn't register. You used to be all over championships like this."

Riley shrugged. "Eh. Lucario and I have been busy."

**That is an understatement,** Lucario commented, eliciting a chuckle from the Aura Guardian.

"You got that right, old friend."

Lance coughed. "Speaking of the Tournament, I have some questions for you. I'd forgotten in all the excitement, but it's why I came down here in the first place. I know right now's not the ideal time, but do you mind? It's important."

Riley glanced at the Champion, confusion etched into his face. "Fire away."

"Right. So then, there's been a mysterious Trainer at the PWT. He registered the day before the Tournament started, and possesses incredibly powerful Pokémon. All of his matches thus far have utterly destroyed his opponents. He fights with a passion I haven't seen in, well, a long time."

Riley quirked an eyebrow. "This is fascinating, Lance, but if we could get to those 'important questions'..."

"Oh, shut up. Anyways. Like I said, his Pokémon are extraordinary. His Pikachu can move so fast even _I _can't make it out. His Ninetales used to be a Shadow Pokémon, and strangest of all, he's an_ Aura User._"

Riley's other eyebrow rose to join the first. "Oh? Are you sure?"

"Positive, He made an Aura Sphere the size of a Pokéball right in front of me."

**He attacked you?**

"Huh? Oh, no. Pryce and I confronted him about an Underground Gym that he supposedly raided some five, six years ago. He claimed that he and his Pikachu took out over two dozen Trainers by themselves, without any assistance whatsoever. I asked him how, and he showed me the Sphere."

Riley and Lucario shared a glance. "This mystery Trainer, does he have a name?"

"Aye. He goes by Red. Bloody ridiculous name if you ask me. I'm almost positive it's an alias."

Riley snorted, shaking his head in wonder. "So unoriginal..." he muttered to himself.

"What? You know him?"

The Aura Guardian stared at Lance for a moment. "Of course I know him!" He shook his head. "You haven't figured it out yet, have you? And here I thought you were some hotshot detective G-man and whatnot."

"Well, who is he!?"

Riley shook his head. "Use those detective skills of yours, Champion. Where have you seen 'Red' before?"

Lance furrowed his brow. "Never..." he began, putting his free hand to his chin. So he knew Red? That couldn't be. He'd never seen anyone quite like the hooded Trainer before. Certainly no non-League member he knew fought the way Red did, commanding his Pokémon with the practiced ease that required years of training.

Then there was the matter of his companions. Misty, Brock, and the kid from Hoenn – Max? The way Misty had defended Red suggested a strong bond between the two – and perhaps something of a crush, Lance thought bemusedly – which was curious in and of itself. The Cerulean City Gym Leader was not exactly a social Beautifly, preferring a select group of friends she had become acquainted with in her travels. Lance couldn't condemn her choices; he was the same way, really, which is why her quick acceptance of Red into her life puzzled him so. Brock, being an outright friendly guy, was easily understandable, but Misty...

Perhaps the two already knew each other? No, that couldn't be it. Hadn't she been the one to ask Pryce about Red's actions in Mahogany? Besides, the way Misty had deferred to Red in Saffron Stadium implied that she hadn't known the Aura User for long; the Gym Leader was always quick in making her mind known whenever she objected to something – not that Lance would ever say that to her face, quirking a lip as he remembered the impromptu training session in Cerulean Cove a few months back. Misty could be downright _scary _when she wanted to be – and her actions in the Stadium led Lance to the belief that, while close, Misty was still cautious around Red.

Now that he thought about it, wasn't Red the same way? Certainly, he was relaxed around Misty and Brock, but Lance's instincts told him that this relaxed demeanor that he had seen was an act, albeit a damn good one. Still, he couldn't help but think that Red was putting on a mask, and that the mask was this close to being torn off every time he spoke to Misty and Brock.

But _why?_ What would drive someone to go to such lengths to conceal their identity? It made no sense to Lance. Red must have known Misty personally, perhaps intimately, to want his anonymity. An old boyfriend, perhaps? A close friend of hers? A traveling companion?

Lance's breath caught in his throat as the pieces fell into place. _Traveling companion. _Of course! How had he not seen it earlier?

_"Ash!?"_

* * *

_-Pokémon League Village-_

Max sat cross-legged on the bed, focusing on a marble. "I don't think it's working," he said after a minute.

**That's because you're doing it wrong, **Grace sighed, not looking up.

"Really? Thanks, Grace, I would have never figured that out on my own." Max massaged his temples, his eyes flitting to the clock on the bedside stand. "Do we have to do this now? It's a beautiful day, I shouldn't be locked up in the Pokémon Center when we could be outside training or whatever it is _normal _people do."

_"Qui quilava." _Cole agreed, lounging on the carpet.

_**Normal **_**people don't have psychic abilities they need to hone, **Grace replied, shooting Cole a look. **Wouldn't you agree, Shadow?**

The Mightyena opened one eyelid, glancing at the Embrace Pokémon. _"Yena."_

**Dark Type.**

_"Might yena."_

**Why, you – **

Max's Pokégear vibrated, the monitor lighting up as the words 'New Message' flashed onscreen. Ignoring Grace and Shadow's banter, Max snatched it up and unlocked the phone. "It's from May," he announced, reading the text quickly. "She says the group's been hanging out with Red and that they'll be swinging by the Center in a few minutes." He grinned. "Awesome! Come on, guys, let's go say hi to R–"

**No. **Grace crossed her arms, glaring at her Trainer.

"What?"

**You're not done yet. **Grace nodded at the marble still resting on the bed.

Max sighed. "Grace, c'mon. Can we not do this now?" He tried to step past the Embrace Pokémon, but Grace moved to block him, standing in front of the door.

**No. We're finishing what you started. You're not leaving this room until you make that marble move.**

"Grace. Move." Max crossed his arms, mirroring Grace's expression.

**No.**

The seconds dragged on until Max finally caved, heaving out a great sigh and pinching the bridge of his nose. "Lousy Gardevoir..." he mumbled under his breath, turning to pick up the marble. He cocked an eyebrow at his starter. "Now what, since I apparently have no idea how to do anything?"

**Don't get smart, Max. I'm trying to help you. **

"Yeah, yeah. So how do you suggest I do this?" he asked, holding the marble flat in his hand.

**Concentrate. Focus on the marble. Imagine yourself lifting it up.**

Max nodded, centering his attention on the tiny glass sphere. He tried to see it begin lifted into the air, hovering just above his palm. His eyes narrowed.

Nothing happened.

**Keep trying, **Grace urged. **You're nearly there.**

Max didn't respond, closing his eyes and creasing his brow. The image in his mind's eye was clearer now, more focused. He could clearly see the marble spinning above his hand, held up by nothing more than his own willpower. Something like a wave rolled low in his ears, and Max suddenly felt somehow connected to the tiny glass ball in his hand. Taking a deep breath, he imagined the sphere floating upwards. No, he _forced _it upwards, commanding the glass to rise up.

His eyes snapped open. The marble was hovering mere inches above his palm, quivering in midair. Max's eyes widened, and the marble fell back into the palm of his hand.

Grace beamed, her eyes shining. **I told you you could do it.**

Max stared at the marble, a smile spreading across his face as well. His fist closed around the sphere, and he laughed. _Today is just an all-around _awesome_ day_, he decided.

* * *

"Hello, and welcome to the Pokémon Center~!" The Nurse began cheerily, turning to face the small group that had just arrived. "How can I help – oh!"

Red smiled back at the surprised Joy. "Afternoon, Nurse Joy. My friend here needs a rest," he began, setting a miniaturized Pokéball on the counter, "Would you mind?"

Nurse Joy quickly shook her head, blinking several times, "Huh? Oh! Of course!" Grabbing the Pokéball from the counter, Nurse Joy transferred it to a slotted machine and pressed a button. A gentle light pulsed over the Pokéball, and after a moment a short tune played, restoring the Pokémon inside the ball to pristine fighting condition. "Here you are, sir," said the Nurse, handing Red the sphere. She blushed slightly. "My apologies about that. You startled me, is all."

Red shrugged indifferently. "It's quite alright. I've actually been getting that a lot today." He grinned, tossing a few Poké into the glass jar labeled 'Tips'. "Have a nice day, Nurse Joy."

The Nurse bowed. "You too, Mr. Red! We hope to serve you again~!"

Red grinned, clipping the ball back onto his belt and making his way back to his friends. "Well, that's taken care of. I miss anything?" He asked Brock.

The ex-Gym Leader shook his head. "Nah. We're still waiting for Max to show up. May sent him a text saying we'd be here a few minutes ago."

Red nodded. "Alright. Say, does anyone mind if we hit the farmer's market really fast? I need to stock up on meds for everybody."

Brock raised an eyebrow. "Medicine?" he asked. "Why not just head to a PokéMart?"

Red shrugged. "We tend to blow through standard Potions pretty quick when we're training. I've figured out a way to make my own medicine that acts kind of like a Revive and a Full Restore."

At that, the Pokémon Doctor's other eyebrow went up? "Really?"

Misty nodded. "Yeah. He gave some of the stuff to Golduck before my match last week. It's pretty potent stuff, actually."

Brock leaned forward, resting his chin on one hand. "Oh? How do you make it?"

"Let's see. We start out by crushing up a Revival Herb and mixing that with water. Then we add juice from Oran berries to get rid of the bitter flavor, Sitrus if we can find them, then we mix in crushed Lum berries and – what else do we use?"

**Leppa, I think.**

"Right, right. Then we mix in Leppa berries. Thanks, Athena. After we add everything we just shake it all up until the whole thing is a nice shade of red. It's cheap, effective, and all-natural to boot."

**And it tastes pretty good, too.**

_"Pi pika!"_

Brock sat back in his chair. "That'll do it," he said, nodding. "That's pretty ingenious of you, Red."

"I try," the hooded Trainer replied. Athena rolled her eyes.

"Ugh, what's taking Maxy so long?" Dawn asked to no one in particular, eyeing the stairs that led to the rooms the Center rented out to Trainers. "What's he _doing _up there?"

**Talking to his Pokémon, **Athena answered, closing her eyes. **Grace in particular. Hold on, they're leaving now. They should be coming down the stairs right about... now.**

Everyone turned to look at the stairs in question, where a certain olive-haired Trainer had just come into view.

"Hey, guys!"

Red rolled his eyes. "Showoff."

**Like you have any room to talk.**

Red made a face, waving to Max. "Hey, Max."

"Red! Hey!" The Hoenn Trainer grinned as Red stood up from his chair. "I took your advice and went to Tate and Liza!"

"Oh? And?"

"And they said I had a lot of potential and that they'd teach me how to be Psychic!"

Red smiled. "Really? That's awesome, Max."

"Yeah it is!"

"So are we going?" Brock asked, standing and looking questioningly at Red, who nodded.

"Yeah. This won't take that long. Maybe we can catch a battle afterwards."

"Ooh! I heard Maylene has a battle in about a half hour!" Dawn exclaimed, scrolling through the listings on her Pokégear. "We should go watch her!"

"Sounds like a plan."

* * *

The League Village, being the site of the Indigo Conference for as far back as memory serves, contained a bustling open market, including people from all over Kanto coming to sell supplies to needy Trainers every year. With the advent of the World Tournament, business had exploded, with merchants from nearly every province and region arriving to peddle their wares.

As it was, the group had no trouble finding an herbalist from Sinnoh who sold everything Red required. Along with a handful of Revival Herbs, he purchased a bag of assorted berries and a small length of cord, which he stuffed into a pocket without comment.

"Hey, Max, did May show you the video of Red and Misty battling?" Brock asked as the group left the shopkeeper's stall.

"_What?! _Misty and Red battled? When was this?!"

"Earlier today. His Salamence up against Gyarados."

Max looked like he about to wet himself. "No way." The Trainer blurred, reappearing with his hands on May's shoulders, staring his sister dead in the eyes. _"Show me this video!"_

"Let go of me and I'll think about it!" she replied, clutching her bag to her chest. Immediately Max released her, taking a hasty step backwards. "Some people have normal siblings," she grumbled, digging around in her seemingly bottomless pack for the Vs. Recorder. "Not me, I get stuck with the 'Psychic' who fanboys over Red like a girl at a NidoQueen concert."

"And _I'm _stuck with the Coordinator who can't shut up about a certain green-haired pretty boy I could mention."

May blushed. "That is _totally _different! Drew is my _Rival! _You had _literally _no idea Red existed before this Tournament!"

Max raised an eyebrow. "I have a rival of my own, sis. I have a couple, actually. You don't see _me _obsessing over them."

"I do _not obsess _over _Drew!_" May's voice grew to a shriek. "We are _just friends _and that is _it!"_

Max's other eyebrow joined the first. "Two words, May: Altomare. Festival."

May fell silent. Her skin reddened further, the blush spreading all across her face and down her neck. "That..." she tossed the Vs. Recorder at Max, looking away. "Shut up."

Athena coughed. **Are they always like this? **She asked Grace, who shrugged and nodded.

**Pretty much.**

**How do you stay sane?**

**Lots of patience. **_**Lots**_**. And yoga.**

**I tried yoga. Doesn't really work for me.**

**Yeah, well, it's not for everyone. Max doesn't care much for it either.**

"_Anyways," _Misty cut the two off before they could continue any further. "We still have a good twenty minutes before Maylene's match starts. What now?"

Eventually, the group elected to just walk around the streets of the Village until the battle began. Red took the opportunity to release Spectre from his Pokéball. The Dragon Pokémon roared angrily at its Trainer, stretching his crimson wings.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm sorry I didn't heal you sooner, etcetera, etcetera," Red answered, scrunching up his nose. "You have Dragonbreath."

Spectre huffed and took to the skies, circling around Red and the group once before flying off.

"You're welcome!" Red called to the retreating form of the Dragon, despite some strange glances from the other pedestrians. "Jerk."

"_Pi pi kachu."_

Red nodded. "Dragons," he agreed.

There was a moment of so of silence as the group continued towards the Stadiums. Suddenly, Athena tensed, her head snapping to the right. **Master! **she warned.

"What is it?"

**Rockets. Heading this way. I count –**

**Six. Two Pokémon each, **Grace finished, earning her concerned glances from the group. **I feel them too.**

Athena nodded. Red swore. "They must have seen Spectre taking off. That was stupid of me."

"What are you talking about?" Dawn asked abruptly.

Red flinched. "Huh? Nothing. I..." he looked around, waving blankly with his hands. "I have to go. I'll meet you all in the Stadium. Don't follow me." Not waiting for a reply, he spun on his heel and took off, Athena at his side and Pikachu on his shoulder.

There was another moment of stunned silence. Brock narrowed his eyes – well, narrowed them more so than usual – and turned to Grace. "Who's after him?" he asked.

**Team Rocket. **

Brock's jaw set. "I thought as much." He made to go after Red, but stopped when Misty grabbed his arm.

"Did you hear him? He said not to follow him!"

Brock quirked an eyebrow. "So? There's something weird going on here. I'm going to get to the bottom of it. Besides, Red's our friend, isn't he? He might be in trouble."

"Then let me go with you."

Brock shook his head. "He won't know I'm there. Probably. He'll definitely notice you, though."

The Gym Leader hesitated, but nodded, letting go of Brock's arm. "Just be careful."

The Pokémon Doctor nodded, his hand reaching for a Pokéball as he walked away and was soon enveloped by the crowd.

* * *

_-Elsewhere-_

The radio crackled to life. "Sir?"

Rocket Admin Sahara tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear before replying. "Go ahead, Tauros-One."

"We've found him, sir."

Sahara quirked an eyebrow. "Say again, Tauros-One?"

"We've found Ketchum, sir. My team and I are in pursuit as we speak. Permission to engage?"

"Permission granted, Tauros-One. You are cleared to engage the target. Be advised, target is to be incapacitated and detained alive and relatively unharmed. I repeat, this is a _non_lethal operation."

"Copy that, Sahara. Over and out."

In her office, Admin Sahara shook her head, scratching the Purrloin in her lap. She removed her headset before tapping a button on her desk. "This is Administrator Sahara. Be advised, a retrieval team is currently in pursuit of codename Diamond. Say again, we have a team in pursuit of Diamond. You may want to call in an ambulance," she added as an afterthought, taking a sip of coffee.

"Request acknowledged. You really think our guys will mess Diamond up that badly?" a voice answered.

Sahara laughed. "Please. This is Ketchum we're talking about. Our men don't stand a chance."

_-League Village-_

Brock ran the corner, narrowly avoiding crashing into an elderly Trainer. "Sorry!" He yelled over his shoulder, scanning the crowd for the black outfits the Rockets had been wearing. Seeing nothing, the Doctor swore. Had he lost them?

No! There! Brock managed to catch a glimpse of the Rockets ducking into a deserted alleyway, Pokéballs at the ready. Brock sprinted to catch up, stopping himself just before he rounded the corner. Catching his breath, he expanded Croagunk's Pokéball and slowly peeked around the corner.

Red, Athena, and Pikachu stood with their backs to Brock, facing a brick wall.

"Freeze!" A Rocket shouted, rather unnecessarily. "Don't make any sudden moves! Put your hands in the air!"

Red remained motionless.

"You thought you could get away, didn't you?" the Rocket sneered, releasing a Voltorb. "Thunder Wave!" he ordered, pointing at the trio. The angry-looking Ball Pokémon glared at his Trainer before releasing a charge of electricity towards the group.

Before Brock could react, Pikachu blurred into action, spinning around at the last second and deflecting the attack with an Iron Tail. His cheeks arcing with electricity, the Electric Mouse retaliated with a Thunderbolt, racing towards the Voltorb. The attack exploded, sending the Pokémon flying into its Trainer. Both collided into the side of a nearby building and slumped to the floor, unconscious.

"Shit..." one of the Rockets murmured, taking a step backwards.

"If you're going to try to take me in, you could at least put some effort into it." The Rockets flinched at the sound of Red's bored voice. The Aura User tossed his hood back, turning to face the five remaining Grunts. "Go on. Do your worst."

Another Grunt, presumably the second-in-command of this little squad, pulled two Pokéballs from his waist. "Just you watch, Ketchum! We're taking you down!"

Wait. _Ketchum?_

For a split second, Red's eyes widened, before resuming their aloof expression. "Is that so? I suggest you get started, then. I haven't got all day." He crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow at the Rockets.

"Golbat! Raticate! Waste this guy!" Two flashes of light followed, revealing the two evolved Pokémon. "Bite!"

The two raced forwards, baring their fangs. Athena leapt into battle, compacting Aura into a heavy staff that she twirled, slamming it down hard on Raticate's head. There was a dull _crack, _and the Rat Pokémon fell. Athena turned her attention to the Golbat, who was still blindly charging forwards. One swipe of the staff, and the Bat Pokémon fell; another swipe, and it lay unconscious alongside its partner.

"Everyone!" the Rockets shouted, each releasing their own Pokémon. After the light had dimmed no less than two Arboks, a Weezing, two Houndoom, a Raticate, and two Cacturne stood before the trio, glaring at their targets.

"You know, for all Team Rocket's flaws, I think the most grievous of all is their total lack of originality," Red said conversationally, totally unfazed by the mob of angry Pokémon before him.

**Points for consistency, if nothing else, **Athena pointed out. **They've been using their current roster for years.**

_"Pika pikachu," _Pikachu agreed.

"Mm." Red heaved a great sigh, motioning with his hand as though to say _get on with it already. _

The Rocket leader – well, the one that wasn't passed out in an alleyway – gulped. "Attack!" He yelled, gathering his courage.

It was, in hindsight, probably the worst decision he'd ever made.

Athena, Red, and Pikachu swing into action, their bodies blurring into nondescript flashes of color. Pikachu became surrounded by an electric aura, charging towards the Cobra Pokémon. Athena placed a hand to her side, drawing a violet blade and rushing a Cacturne.

Red summoned an Aura Sphere, firing into the crowd of hostile Pokémon. He clenched a fist, and fire sprung to life within it, wreathing his hand in flame. He ducked under a Pin Missile and sidestepped a Flamethrower, closing in on the Rocket leader. Pulling his fist back, he lashed out with a foot, surprising the Rocket with a kick to the gut before slamming his fist into the criminal's face. The Rocket spun an entire three hundred and sixty degrees under the force of the blow, passing out before he hit the ground.

Athena slashed at the Scarecrow Pokémon, the ethereal blade passing cleanly through its chest. The Cacturne fell to its knees, unable to move with his Aura severed so. Athena continued by cracking her sword's hilt over the Cacturne's head, knocking it unconscious before its Aura could realign. She spun to avoid a Flamethrower, firing a small Aura Sphere at the offending Houndoom, wincing as the flames licked her fur.

Pikachu loosed another Thunderbolt, electrocuting a nearby Arbok. His tail shone silver, and he raced towards Raticate, who barely managed to counter with a Hyper Fang. The two Pokémon deadlocked for a moment before Pikachu broke away, leaping over the Normal Type and shooting it full of electricity.

Red blocked a wild haymaker from one of the Rockets, ducking down and kicking the Peon's feet out from under him. Another Rocket jumped him, and Red shifted, grabbing the oncoming Grunt and using his momentum to throw him into a wall. The Aura User extended his fore and middle fingers, bringing his hands close to his chest. Electricity danced along his fingertips, and he made a thrusting gesture towards Weezing. Lighting arced from his hand, striking the Poison Gas Pokémon in its oversized head.

By now, most of the Rocket's Pokémon had fainted on the alley floor. The still-conscious Rockets halted their attack, backing away from the Aura User and his Pokémon. "Let's get out of here!" one of them yelled.

"Not so fast!" Red opened his palm, forming a small, Pokéball-sized ball of electricity. He took a single step, hurling the attack towards the group. The sphere latched itself to one of the Rockets before exploding in a burst of blue light. Those that hadn't escaped – that is, most of them – slumped to the ground as sparks flew off their bodies.

There was a pause. Red frowned. "They know who we are now. That's... not good."

**We didn't exactly do a stellar job of hiding ourselves. I'm actually kind of surprised it took them this long.**

"Yeah..."

**C'mon, Ash. Rocket's known who we were for years now. **If Athena said anything else, Brock didn't hear it. _Ash. _

No. Hell no. It couldn't be... could it?

Brock stepped into the alleyway. The trio whirled around at the sound of his footsteps, dropping into battle stances. Red's eyes widened, and he took several steps back.

_"Ash?"_

Red winced, closing his eyes. He took a deep breath, and let it out in a great heaving sigh. No point in lying. He'd been doing far too much of that the past few weeks. "Hey, Brock."

* * *

_**Heyo, everyone. How's it going? So it's been, what, two months? Sorry. School kind of got a little crazy during the end there. No worries, though, we just let out yesterday, so I expect I'll be updating (somewhat) more frequently the next few months.**_

_** I have a few announcements to make. 1: This story has now passed 50,000 words! Holy crap, that is a lot. I'll be honest, I was **_**not **_**expecting to make it this far. That's all on you, which leads me to my next announcement: We've passed 100 reviews! Holy arse that is incredible. Let's keep it up! On to two hundred! Also, this is our tenth chapter! No I don't know how many there are going to be. Don't ask.**_

_** That said, this chapter was fun to write. I really enjoyed writing Lance and Riley's dialogue (you may get more on their relationship later) as well as the scene with Team Rocket. It should be noted I based Ash's attacks off of Infamous and A:TLA. **_

_** That's about it for now. See you all (hopefully) soon!**_

_** 'Til next time,**_

_** -Wolverinejoe**_


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